Single-use Plastic Regulations and Consumer Behaviour

After steel and concrete, plastic is the most common manmade material, with plastic production equalling 380 million tons per year in 2015. It is estimated that 79 percent of plastic waste accumulates in landfills or the natural environment and that more than 80 percent of marine litter is plastics. With growing concern over the environmental consequences and economic costs per year related to plastic waste clean-up, recycling, and landfilling, lawmakers around the world are adopting policies to change how their constituents use and dispose of plastic items. For example, NSW passed the Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act in November 2021, which bans the supply of lightweight plastic carryout bags from June 2022 and extends to single-use plastic straws, cutlery, stirrers, bowls, and plates by November 2022.

While the direct effects of plastic regulations on the consumption of regulated plastic items have been studied, less is known about their secondary effects on consumer behaviour, often referred to as spillover effects. In the context of pro-environmental behaviours, spillovers arise when one pro-environmental behaviour affects the propensity a person commits another pro-environmental behaviour. For instance, if a ban on lightweight plastic carryout bags leads people to use reusable carryout bags, will this new behaviour make people more likely to reuse other single-use plastic items like coffee cups and straws (i.e., a positive spillover effect) or will it make people less likely to reuse other plastic items (i.e., a negative spillover effect)?

Using administrative and survey data, this project will be the first to examine if the roll-out of plastic bag policies in Australia and the U.S. had positive or negative spillover effects on other pro-environmental behaviours, namely household recycling rates, use of reusable items (e.g., coffee cups, straws, and water bottles), and support of other environmental regulations (e.g., supporting carbon tax). While the research team’s previous research on plastic bag policies generated knowledge that impacted the implementation of plastic regulations (i.e., policymakers choosing taxes over bans), this project will impact the evaluation of plastic regulations and help governments such as NSW understand what spillover effects they should measure when evaluating their plastic policies.

The PhD student will join an active group of researchers and will be supported by the resources of the School of Economics and Sydney Environment Institute. The student will be directly supervised by:

Dr Rebecca Taylor, School of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney
Dr David Ubilava, School of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney

To be successful in PhD application, an ideal candidate will have a masters or first-class honours in Economics and a demonstrated interest (for example through coursework or research) in Environmental Economics and Behavioural Economics. The PhD student should have excellent data analysis and social skills. Programming experience, for example in STATA and R, although not necessary is an asset.

Aim of the study

There is growing political will to regulate plastic in consumer items, especially items deemed to be single-use and disposable. While the direct effects of plastic regulations on the consumption of regulated plastic items have been studied, less is known about their secondary effects on consumer behaviour, often referred to as spillover effects.

This project aims to:

Use administrative and survey datasets to examine if the roll-out of plastic bag policies across Australia and the U.S. had positive or negative spillover effects on other pro-environmental behaviours, namely household recycling rates, use of reusable items, and support of other environmental regulations.
Inform the evaluation of plastic regulations and help governments such as NSW understand what spillover effects they should measure when evaluating their plastic policies.

Benefits

This project represents an opportunity to work with leading academics in the economics of single-use plastic regulations. The School of Economics (SoE) is unique in the Australian context for having an Environmental, Agricultural and Resource Economics major within a Faculty of Arts and Social Science. To support this major, the SoE has a large group of academics with this research expertise. The PhD student will be encouraged to take advantage of the resources available in FASS, the School of Economics, and the Sydney Environment Institute, including participating in regular reading groups and workshops.

The PhD student will also learn how to disseminate their research to inform policymakers and the public. The research team’s previous research and engagement (op-eds, interviews, policy briefs, and social media) have already impacted plastic policy: Several local governments in the U.S. are now opting to tax bags rather than ban them and the United Nations Environmental Programme is giving policy recommendations based on the research team’s findings.

PhD application criteria

Applicants are invited to submit a proposal for PhD research that aligns directly to this project.

Prospective candidates may qualify for direct entry into the PhD program if their research proposal (see above) is accepted and they satisfy at least one of the criteria listed below.

Bachelor's degree with first- or second-class honours in an appropriate area of study that includes a research thesis based on primary data not literature review
Master's degree by research in an appropriate area of study that includes a research thesis that draws on primary data
Master's degree by coursework, with a research thesis or dissertation of 12,000–15,000 words that draws on primary data not literature review, with a grade-point average of at least 80 per cent in the degree
Demonstrated appropriate professional experience and alternative qualifications in the field of study.

For more information regarding applying for a PhD refer to the course details for Doctor of Philosophy (Arts and Social Sciences).

Please also refer to guidelines for preparing a research proposal.

Funding

A number of scholarships are available to support your studies.

These scholarships will provide a stipend allowance of $35,629 per annum for up to 3.5 years. Successful international students will also receive a tuition fee scholarship for up to 3.5 years.

For other scholarship opportunities refer to FASS Research Scholarships (Domestic) or FASS Research Scholarships (International)

Contact

For further details about the PhD project contact Dr Rebecca Taylor at r.taylor@sydney.edu.au.