Professors Sophie Bernard and Justin Leroux, together with student Valérie Patreau, analyzed public policies aimed at phasing out single-use plastics and adopting more sustainable practices. Discover the summary of their work.
Résumé
The project aims to analyze public measures to reduce plastic waste at source and promote the transition from single-use products to reusable solutions, both in consumer purchasing habits and in the context of health crises such as COVID-19.
The data used comes from a large-scale Canada-wide survey on zero-waste consumption. It provides essential insights to support government decisions toward a circular economy for plastics.
Scientific literature shows that packaging accounts for nearly half of plastic waste in Canada and that recycling remains far too insufficient. A transformation of consumption systems and behaviors is essential. However, our results indicate that even though consumers want to reduce waste and a majority of them say they are willing to buy bulk products, the majority are not willing to pay more for these bulk products with reusable containers. This reluctance, influenced by age, gender, perceived convenience, or pro-environmental behaviors, reveals a gap between intentions and actual behaviors.
Public policy plays a crucial role in encouraging change. However, there is still a gap between the measures most recommended by experts (bans, eco-tax measures) and their social acceptability. The perception of their effectiveness is a key factor in strengthening this acceptability, and it varies according to socio-demographic characteristics, consumption habits, and environmental attitudes. Integrated policies—rules, incentives, social norms, and communication—are needed to support bulk consumption and reuse.
In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted progress toward a zero-waste movement, leading to a significant increase in the use of single-use plastics, particularly for health reasons. While households are aware of this, only a quarter say they are willing to contribute financially to preventive measures to better manage plastics in future crises. Willingness to pay depends on factors such as age, income, education, and environmental beliefs.
By combining economic, behavioral, and social analyses, our project provides concrete tools to strengthen reduction at source through reuse, improve policy acceptability, and support the roadmap toward a circular plastics economy in Quebec and Canada, including in the context of future health crises.
