Attitudinal and behavioural segments on single-use plastics in Ghana: Implications for reducing marine plastic pollution

Abstract

Recent research attention has been directed at legislative and market-based instruments with little recourse to understanding attitudinal and behavioural responses to single-use plastics (SUPs). Using the tri-component model, this study examines attitudinal and behavioural segments on SUPs amongst residents in coastal cities of Accra and Cape Coast in Ghana. A questionnaire was used to solicit data from 2,345 residents selected using the multi-stage sampling technique. Findings show that there are three attitudinal clusters on SUPs amongst residents, namely avoiders, potential avoiders and patrons. Avoiders have unfavourable attitudes towards SUPs and as such avoid consumption of SUPs, while potential have unfavourable attitudes towards SUPs, but with a lower level of avoidance and thus sometimes use them. Patrons have favourable attitudes towards SUPs and equally consume them. Each of these three attitudinal clusters varies across the socio-demographic characteristics of residents. The implications of these findings towards the reduction of marine SUP pollution are discussed.

Keywords

• Marine plastic pollution
• Single-use plastics (SUPs)
• Tri-component
• Behaviour change
• Ghana