Effectiveness of Implementation of Plastic Packaging Ban Policy Carried out in the Buea Municipality, Cameroon
FONKEM BRENDA NANJAI *
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences of the University of Buea, South West Region, Cameroon.
NSAGHA DICKSON SHEY
Department of Public Health and Hygiene, Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Buea, South West Region, Cameroon.
TATA EMMANUEL SUNJO
Department of Geography, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences of the University of Buea, South West Region, Cameroon.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of mechanisms for implementing the plastic ban policy in Buea, guided by Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (1991). A quantitative design was employed, with 384 market traders selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with established reliability and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in IBM SPSS version 23. The results showed that awareness of banned plastic types (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 7.5; p < 0.001), operating as a formal business (AOR = 4.3; p < 0.001), exposure to sanctions (AOR = 13.2; p < 0.001), and reduced availability of banned plastics (AOR = 3.0; p < 0.001) were significant predictors of the perceived success of the policy. These findings underscore that effective enforcement, combined with community sensitization, stronger regulation of informal businesses, and the provision of alternatives to banned plastics, is essential to improve compliance and achieve lasting environmental benefits.
Keywords: Environmental policy, environmental pollutants, Cameroon, theory of planned behavior, public opinion, stakeholder participation, commerce, perception