Philippine E-Journals

Extent of Single-use Plastic Consumption of Households in a Barangay in Bacolod City

Geff B Sagala | Nao Mae O Diaz | Angeline J Arquiza | Izaiah Justin J Bat-og | Estella Marie J Balasan | Trisha Claire D Dolatre | Mary Hope J Guarino | Angelo Alex B Paguntalan | Judy Ashley B Penaranda | Chrisia Nina L Vergara

 

Abstract:

Plastic is a miracle material. What makes plastic so convenient in our day-to-day lives – it’s cheap – also makes it ubiquitous, resulting in one of our planet’s greatest environmental challenges (UNEP, 2018). Single-use plastics are items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away (Wales, 2018). The amount of waste in the world increases as the population grows, and plastic products accumulate over time. The study was conducted in a certain community in Bacolod City that has been experiencing inundation for so many years now due to improper disposal of single-use plastics. This study aimed to measure the extent of single-use plastic consumption in households affected by their habits and policies of the government and determine if there was a significant difference in the extent of utilization of single-use plastics. The researchers hypothesized that there was no significant difference. This study was anchored with “Nudge Theory” or the concept of nudging where the government was nudging the people to stop consuming single-use plastics by proposing reusable items and a sustainable lifestyle. This was a quantitative research approach, descriptive research was used in this study where questionnaires were utilized to collect data that was analyzed and interpreted by the researchers. 158 out of 262 households were surveyed. It was found out that the households in a barangay often consume single-use plastics despite the city government’s strong implementation of plastic banning. Also, there was no significant difference in the utilization of single-use plastics amongst the households. Based on the results, the researchers recommend strengthening the information dissemination regarding single-use plastics and their effects. The households were highly aware of plastic banning yet continue to use such products because they are unaware of the outcome of their actions.