The plastic pollution crisis in Southeast Asia is reaching a critical tipping point, with plastic waste projected to nearly quadruple in some countries by 2050. While traditional policies and single-use plastic bans are an important start, the report Breaking the Plastic Habit in ASEAN reveals that behavioural insights are the essential missing piece to bridge the “intention-action gap” and achieve lasting environmental change across the region.
Commissioned by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), this Phase II report synthesises evidence from behaviour-centred pilot initiatives across Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The project moves beyond traditional information campaigns to apply psychological levers such as choice architecture, social influence, and emotional appeals to reduce single-use plastic consumption.
A major innovation of this phase is the implementation of a psychosocial Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework, which allows project leaders to track the underlying psychological and social drivers of change rather than just physical outputs. Key findings highlight that interventions are most effective when they are embedded in locally meaningful values and when the sustainable choice is made the easiest default option. The report provides a roadmap for policymakers to strengthen enforcement and for businesses to foster circular systems through community-led behavioural shifts.
See the event page for the report launch slides and recording: https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20260331
