Replacing single use plastic bags with compostable carriers: socio-economic approach

Abstract Disposable plastic bags have already become global environmental problems due to their long durability. Plastic bags can be decomposed into microplastic and become more harmful to the environment. This paper will describe socio-economic factors that determinate plastic bag consumption and willingness to pay (WTP) for compostable shopping bags in Yogyakarta. Respondents were chosen using simple random sampling adopting Slovin formula. At a critical value of 4,82%, the sample size was 450 households. Socio-economic factors affecting the use of plastic bags are tested by employing multiple regressions. The result showed that the average use of plastic bags in Yogyakarta is 8 bags/household/week. Factors that influence the usage of plastic bags were the intensity of shopping in the supermarkets/grocery/convenience store, monthly shopping expenditure, and the intensity of the use of non-degradable plastic bags. WTP for compostable shopping bags is IDR 615 per bag. Since the traditional market was the first choice of respondents for daily or weekly shopping, plastic bag levy policy that applied in supermarkets has a limited impact on reducing plastic bag usage.