Photo by Drew Angel/Getty Images.

Across the country, many states or cities have implemented restrictions to prevent disposable plastic bags that you may use when picking up the goods. But even if they wish, the latest state budget prohibits Ohio cities from banning or charging these bags. A recent study showed that there are still ways to reduce the waste of disposable plastic bags.

Oregon State University economist Wuyang Hu co-authored a study that observed that the consumption of plastic bags in two convenience stores on the University of Kentucky campus dropped by about one-third. He explained that the key to reduction is encouragement rather than dissuasion.

This kind of encouragement is what behavioral economists call "boost," a low-cost incentive measure designed to influence individual choices or actions. Hu explained that in this case, if the customer rejects a bag, the store will provide them with a token, which can be used for a few charities.

"So in this process, consumers have the freedom to choose the package, but consumers also have the freedom to abandon it in exchange for tokens," Hu said. "The five-cent token can be donated to a local charity."

In the study, one convenience store offered tokens, while the other did not. Hu pointed out that it is not a perfect substitute for off-campus stores, because most customers have backpacks. Despite this, they see that the overall likelihood of customers requesting checked baggage has dropped by about 10% to 12%, which means that actual baggage usage has dropped by about 30%.

Hu believes that the result may actually underestimate the effectiveness of the promotion. He said that many people who eventually took the bag were simply because there were too many items. But Hu also admitted that as people get used to it, nudges tend to weaken over time. He believes that the token program may need to be updated or changed occasionally to keep consumers engaged.

Nevertheless, he believes that this research provides a proof of concept.

"The simple fact is that we have done this and can be sure that the token is a good signal," Hu said. "Now they can actually trust our plan. Let's talk about it. We may and should implement this plan. Therefore, I personally think that the function of our research is larger than the exact number, namely 10 to 12. People showed a success story."

As for why a store is willing to provide donations for donations, Hu returned to the idea of ​​keeping the push cost low. He believes that many customers seem to like this approach, so companies that use their dollars for charity instead of spending money on bags will not necessarily result in a net loss.

Hu said: "Comparing the two stores is just a general store on the street. One store has a token program, the other does not, and there is a program that can attract more customers." "This is a very interesting question, but I I won’t say that the answer is simple, because the store will definitely be worse because it needs to provide funds to other entities. This is not that simple story.”

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Written by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal December 6, 2021

Across the country, many states or cities have implemented restrictions to prevent disposable plastic bags that you may use when picking up the goods. But even if they wish, the latest state budget prohibits Ohio cities from banning or charging these bags. A recent study showed that there are still ways to reduce the waste of disposable plastic bags.

Oregon State University economist Wuyang Hu co-authored a study that observed that the consumption of plastic bags in two convenience stores on the University of Kentucky campus dropped by about one-third. He explained that the key to reduction is encouragement rather than dissuasion.

This kind of encouragement is what behavioral economists call "boost," a low-cost incentive measure designed to influence individual choices or actions. Hu explained that in this case, if the customer rejects a bag, the store will provide them with a token, which can be used for a few charities.

"So in this process, consumers have the freedom to choose the package, but consumers also have the freedom to abandon it in exchange for tokens," Hu said. "The five-cent token can be donated to a local charity."

In the study, one convenience store offered tokens, while the other did not. Hu pointed out that it is not a perfect substitute for off-campus stores, because most customers have backpacks. Despite this, they see that the overall likelihood of customers requesting checked baggage has dropped by about 10% to 12%, which means that actual baggage usage has dropped by about 30%.

Hu believes that the result may actually underestimate the effectiveness of the promotion. He said that many people who eventually took the bag were simply because there were too many items. But Hu also admitted that as people get used to it, nudges tend to weaken over time. He believes that the token program may need to be updated or changed occasionally to keep consumers engaged.

Nevertheless, he believes that this research provides a proof of concept.

"The simple fact is that we have done this and can be sure that the token is a good signal," Hu said. "Now they can actually trust our plan. Let's talk about it. We may and should implement this plan. Therefore, I personally think that the function of our research is larger than the exact number, namely 10 to 12. People showed a success story."

As for why a store is willing to provide donations for donations, Hu returned to the idea of ​​keeping the push cost low. He believes that many customers seem to like this approach, so companies that use their dollars for charity instead of spending money on bags will not necessarily result in a net loss.

Hu said: "Comparing the two stores is just a general store on the street. One store has a token program, the other does not, and there is a program that can attract more customers." "This is a very interesting question, but I I won’t say that the answer is simple, because the store will definitely be worse because it needs to provide funds to other entities. This is not that simple story.”

Send morning headlines to your inbox

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Nick Evans has been reporting for NPR member radio stations in Florida and Ohio for the past seven years. He started his work in Tallahassee, covering issues such as rezoning, same-sex marriage, and medical marijuana. Since arriving in Columbus in 2018, his work has covered everything from city council to football. His work in Ohio politics and local policing has appeared on NPR many times.

The Ohio Capital Daily is an independent non-profit news organization dedicated to connecting Ohioans with their state government and its impact on their lives. Capital Journal combines Ohio government reports with insightful investigative journalism, covering the consequences of policies, political insights, and principled commentary.

Our story may be republished online or in print under the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask you to edit or shorten the style only, provide an appropriate attribution and a link to our website.