Sustainable plastics waste management framework based on the analysis of people’s awareness, knowledge, attitude, skills, and action: development of sustainable plastics waste management approaches

This paper investigated peoples’ awareness on plastic ban legislation and the consistency of their practices in promoting the sustainability of plastic waste management. Specifically, this paper determines the difference between the awareness on plastic ban legislation based on the demographic profile, describing the level of awareness on single-use plastic in relation to plastic ban legislation and threats to the environment; it ascertains the consistency of practice on plastic waste avoidance; establishing the relationship of awareness on single-use plastic and sustainability in practice; and finally, the paper suggests the approaches to enhance the awareness and consistency of practice in promoting sustainable development. The analysis of the survey results from 890 participants during May–July 2021 from different ethnicities concludes that among others, a higher level of plastic pollution-related awareness and knowledge along with positive attitude and skills for its control, increases the adoption of plastic waste management practices. Based on the synthesis of participants’ suggestions, this paper proposes a set of six interconnected approaches to address the plastics wastes and its impact on the environment, useful for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in this area.