A new study by UC Riverside reveals that plastic bag bans have lasting impacts on consumer behavior, even after the policies are repealed. Researchers found that while some positive habits remained, sales of plastic trash bags increased, offering a nuanced view of such environmental measures.
A recent study published in the Journal of Marketing Research reveals that regulations banning single-use plastic bags continue to influence consumer behavior even after they are repealed — sometimes in unexpected ways.
Co-authored by Hai Che, an associate professor of marketing at the University of California, Riverside, the study examined plastic bag policies in Austin and Dallas, Texas, highlighting both beneficial and adverse environmental impacts.
Significantly, consumer behavior changes persisted once the bans were lifted. Rather than reducing plastic use overall, the research found an uptick in plastic trash bag sales as shoppers who had repurposed free grocery bags needed replacements.
“We were hoping for positive spillover effects, like customers will be more environmentally conscious and consume less one-time use plastic or paper products,” Che said in a news release. “But that’s not what happened in the data. People wound up buying more plastic.”
In Austin, a ban on single-use carryout bags was enforced from 2013 until 2018 when the Texas Supreme Court invalidated the policy. In Dallas, a five-month fee-for-bag program in 2015 ended abruptly due to legal challenges.
Both cities saw an initial decline in plastic bag sales after the bans were repealed, but a significant residual effect remained. In Austin, plastic bag purchases were still 38.6% above pre-policy levels 18 months after the repeal.
The research team employed a “break-even analysis” to measure if the positive environmental impact of reduced grocery bag use outweighed the increased sales of plastic trash bags. Their findings suggest that even a minimal reduction in grocery bag consumption could counterbalance the rise in trash bag sales.
“Interestingly, even a slight reduction in grocery bag use can offset the increased plastic consumption from trash bags,” added Che. “This suggests that these policies might still benefit the environment overall, even when repealed.”
Che emphasizes that these spillover effects can extend beyond plastic bag usage. Policies targeting sugary drinks, energy efficiency and health incentives may similarly yield unintended behaviors that compromise their goals.
“While our study focused on plastic bags, similar spillover effects have been documented in policies targeting sugary drinks, energy efficiency and health incentives,” says Che. “In each case, behaviors that weren’t directly targeted by the policy — like purchasing more sugary snacks when soda is taxed — can offset or even undermine the policy’s primary goals.”
This study contributes critical insights into the unintended consequences of environmental regulations and illuminates the complex dynamics at play.