Strategic and Sustainable Plastic Management: Promoting Awareness Over Bans for Responsible Usage

Purpose: Focusing on awareness creation rather than outright bans is a pragmatic approach to promoting responsible plastic usage, as highlighted in the Strategic and Sustainable Plastic Management article. Awareness initiatives empower individuals and industries to adopt sustainable practices through education, behavioural nudges, and public campaigns, addressing the root causes of plastic pollution without the economic and practical challenges associated with bans. By fostering knowledge of alternatives, recycling, and circular economy models, awareness efforts facilitate gradual, inclusive, and lasting transitions toward sustainability, ensuring that stakeholders are engaged and prepared to manage plastic responsibly. Methods: Collection of information based on keywords using search engines like Google, Google Scholar, and AI-driven GPTs. The information is analyzed using various frameworks, including SWOC analysis, ABCD stakeholder analysis, and PESTL framework. Findings: The analysis of Strategic and Sustainable Plastic Management highlights key insights emphasizing the importance of promoting awareness over outright bans to achieve responsible plastic usage. Awareness initiatives targeting schools, colleges, and industries are identified as critical strategies for fostering behavioural changes and encouraging sustainable practices across society. The study emphasizes a multi-tiered approach, integrating public education, policy interventions, and stakeholder collaboration to build a circular economy. Additionally, the limitations of outright bans are discussed, including economic disruptions, resistance from industries, and implementation challenges, suggesting that responsible use through awareness creation provides a more inclusive and adaptive solution. Implications/Value: Based on analysis, the paper provides many practical recommendations for sustainable plastic management. Type of the Paper: Exploratory Research Analysis.