BEFORE AND AFTER COMPARISON STUDY ON SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAN IMPLEMENTATION AMONG URBAN COMMUNITY RESIDENTS IN PUDUCHERRY, SOUTH INDIA

Devi Kittu; Lalithambigai Chellamuthu; Aruljothi Sivapushani

doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2023.v16i5.46898

Authors

Devi Kittu Department of Community Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India.
Lalithambigai Chellamuthu Department of Community Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Center, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India.
Aruljothi Sivapushani Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2023.v16i5.46898

Keywords:

Plastic ban, Community-based study, Urban, Non-randomized trial

Abstract

Objective: Plastic industry is rapidly growing industries in India. To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of plastic usage before and after plastic ban in urban Puducherry.

Methods: A community-based, non-randomized control trial (before and after comparison study) was conducted from May to October 2019 (6 months) at an urban field practice area of a Government Medical College in Puducherry. The study population were community residents aged above 18 years from the selected wards of urban field practice areas. The systematic random sampling was employed to cover 450 community residents. Data were collected by face-to-face interview into a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. The pre-ban data collection was completed in July 2019. Ban on single-use plastics was implemented in Puducherry by August 1, 2019. After 1 month of ban (wash-out period), post-ban data collection was done among the same residents during September 2019. Data were captured using epi-collect and analyzed using the SPSS 16. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee.

Results: Mean age of study participants was 39.64 (13.23) years, of which 255 (56.7%) of them were females. The median income of the respondents was 16000 (25000). Before ban 403 (89.6%) were carrying their shopping items or products using plastic bags provided by the shopkeeper whereas post-ban, it has reduced to 102 (22.7%). Mean KAP (knowledge, attitude, and practice) scores before ban was 9±3.8 (95% CI 6.6–9.2), and after ban, mean scores increased to 17.2±1.5 (95% CI 16.2–18.4). A pair t-test was done between the pre- and post- ban KAP scores and was found to be statistically significant (p=0.000).

Conclusion: Most participants were aware of both environmental and health hazards from plastics and supported the single-use plastics ban.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Devi Kittu, Department of Community Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India.

Department of Community Medicine,

Lalithambigai Chellamuthu, Department of Community Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Center, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, India.

Senior Resident, Department of Community Medicine

Aruljothi Sivapushani, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.

Senior Resident, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine

References

Das S, Lee SH, Kumar P, Kim KH, Lee SS, Bhattacharya SS. Solid waste management: Scope and the challenge of sustainability. J Cleaner Prod 2019;228:658-78. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.323

What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management. Available from: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/17388 [Last accessed on 2021 Oct 01].

Abbasi B, Sohail A, Tang J, Ullah I, Abbasi H. International Journal of Business, Economics and management works determinants of the usage of plastic bags. Int J Bus Econ Manag 2018;5:18-22.

Gupta K, South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics. Consumer Responses to Incentives to Reduce Plastic Bag Use: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Urban India. Kathmandu: South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics; 2011.

Halden RU. Plastics and health risks. Annu Rev Public Health 2010;31:179-94. doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.012809.103714, PMID 20070188

United Nations Environment Programme. SINGLE-USE PLASTICS: A Road Map for Sustainability. UN Environmental Program; 2018. Available from: https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/25496 [Last accessed on 2021 Jul 28].

Sung GB. Ban on Plastic Bags Usage: Is it a Right Move? An Empirical Study on Consumer Perception and Practice. Malaysia: UniversitiSains Malaysia; 2010. p. 35.

Single-Use Plastic Rules: Small Manufacturers Lament Loss of Business. New Delhi: Hindustan Times; 2021. Available from: https:// www.hindustantimes.com/cities/others/singleuse-plastic-rules-small-manufacturers-lament-loss-of-business-101628961603477.html [Last accessed on 2021 Sep 28].

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Plastic Waste Management: Issues, Solutions and Case Studies. Government of India; 2019. Available from: https://164.100.228.143:8080/sbm/content/ writereaddata/SBM%20plastic%20waste%20book.pdf [Last accessed on 2021 Sep 27].

Convery F, McDonnell S, Ferreira S. The most popular tax in Europe? Lessons from the Irish plastic bags levy. Environ Resour Econ 2007;38:1-11. doi: 10.1007/s10640-006-9059-2

Singh MK, Devi SR. Hazards of plastic bags in Dholpur-a small District town of Rajasthan, India. India. Int Res J Environ Sci 2016;2:6-10.

Lachenbruch PA, Lwanga SK, Lemeshow S. Sample size determination in health studies: A practical manual. J Am Stat Assoc 1991;86:1149. doi: 10.2307/2290547

Ban on single-use plastic in Puducherry from August 1. Business Standard India; 2019. Available from: https://www.business-standard. com/article/pti-stories/ban-on-single-use-plastic-in-puducherry-from-august-1-119062101034_1.html [Last accessed on 2021 Jul 28].

Sutton J, Turner B. Plastic bags: Hazards and mitigation. California: Social Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University; 2012.

Sanghi S. Use of plastic bags: Factors affecting ecologically oriented behavior in consumers. Abhigyan 2008;26:34-46.

Adane L, Muleta D. Survey on the usage of plastic bags, their disposal and adverse impacts on environment: A case study in Jimma City, Southwestern Ethiopia. J Toxicol Environ Health Sci 2011;3:234-48.

He H. Effects of environmental policy on consumption: Lessons from the Chinese plastic bag regulation. Environ Dev Econ 2012;17:407-31. doi: 10.1017/S1355770X1200006X

Xing X. Study on the ban on free plastic bags in China. J Sustain Dev 2009;2:156-8. doi: 10.5539/jsd.v2n1P156

Rajkumar P. A study on the plastic waste and environmental degradation. ABC J Adv Res 2015;4:9-16. doi: 10.18034/abcjar.v4i1.41

Joseph N, Kumar A, Majgi SM, Kumar GS, Prahalad RB. Usage of plastic bags and health hazards: A study to assess awareness level and perception about legislation among a small population of Mangalore city. J Clin Diagn Res 2016;10:LM01-4. doi: 10.7860/ JCDR/2016/16245.7529, PMID 27190841