RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Nudging Away from Plastic Bags with Charitable Donations
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 132
OP 149
DO 10.3368/le.98.1.011820-0007R1
VO 98
IS 1
A1 Penn, Jerrod
A1 Bastola, Sapana
A1 Hu, Wuyang
YR 2022
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/98/1/132.abstract
AB To respond to the environmental problems posed by disposable plastic bags, several mechanisms exist, such as bag taxes and bans, but such policies are infeasible in several U.S. states and municipalities. This study uses a social quasi-experiment to examine the effect of a voluntary token-donation program, which reduces disposable plastic bag use by providing a small charitable donation incentive. We find that the token-donation program reduces the probability of disposable bag use by 11.4–12.9 percentage points, representing about 30%–34% decrease in bag use. Our results demonstrate effective mechanisms to reduce plastic bags exist without government-mandated policy.