Effectiveness of Implementation of Plastic Packaging Ban Policy Carried out in the Buea Municipality, Cameroon

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.