Vad är väl en plastpåse värd? En studie av den svenska befolkningens genomsittliga betalningsvilja för en plastbärkasse

Abstract

In recent years, the negative environmental effects of plastic carrier bags have increasingly been recognized. As a result, various countries, including Sweden, have adopted measures such as bans and taxes to reduce the consumption of such bags. The Swedish plastic bag tax was put in place in May 2020. However, this was done without any information about price sensitivity or willingness to pay for a plastic carrier bag. In light of this lack in knowledge, this study uses the contingent valuation method (CVM) to investigate the average willingness to pay for a plastic carrier bag among Swedish adults. The study also examines whether the willingness to pay can be affected by providing information on the environmental impacts of plastic bag consumption. The results from the study indicate that the average willingness to pay for a plastic bag hovers around 3,50 SEK. Furthermore, environmental consciousness did not seem to affect the willingness to pay. Instead, the results from the study suggest that willingness to pay increases with buying frequency, meaning that people who buy plastic bags more often, are willing to pay more for each bag. Also, a statistically significant, negative age effect on willingness to pay was observed. More than 4 out of 10 respondents were affected by the provision of information on the negative environmental effects of plastic carrier bags.