UNDP
Libya
UNDP's Accelerator Lab in Libya conducted an experiment to reduce consumption of single-use plastic bags in supermarkets by nudging customers to take up reusable bags. The experiment consisted of distributing free reusable branded bags in two supermarkets and observing consumers' willingness to stop using single-use bags. The experiment was divided into two different interventions: Supermarket 1: Distributed 240 grocery bags each day during busy hours for 2 weeks. Supermarket 2: Gave 2000 bags to the supermarket and instructed them to distribute them to customers for free. Neither intervention resulted in a significant change in consumption of single-use plastic bags. While consumers were willing to accept the free reusable bags and understood the importance of reducing the use of single-use bags, very few actually re-used them at supermarkets, because they were not considered convenient for carrying groceries. Unexpectedly, their usage was instead observed in bakeries, with re-usable bags considered better than plastic bags for carrying bread. The Lab plans to continue its experimentation (including in bakeries) to test the impact of charging small fees on bags.