RESEARCH TITLE:

PLASTIC BAG FREE SHOPPING: THE PERCEIVED EFFECTS ON THE DAILY

LIVING OF THE SHS STUDENTS OF MYSTICAL ROSE SCHOOL OF CALOOCAN,
INC.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:

“The term "plastics" encompasses organic materials, such as the elements carbon (C),
hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), chlorine (Cl) and sulfur (S), which has properties similar to those
naturally grown in organic materials such as wood, horn and rosin. Plastics are polymers. Plastic
bags are made from ethylene, a gas that is produced as a by-product of oil, gas and coal
production (Gogte, 2009).” “Kulkarni (2018) identifies Plastic bag, is a common form of
packaging material, out of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile, which
are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines,
chemicals, and waste.” According to Abdel-Bary and Massey (2003), there are different types of
shopping bags, the LLDPE and the other LDPE. The Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)
is one of the most commonly used packaging films in the packaging industry. LLDPE has higher
impact strength, tensile strength, puncture resistance and elongation. On the other hand, Low
density polyethylene (LDPE) is widely used in packaging like foils, trays and plastic bags for
both food and nonfood purposes. It is also used as protective film on paper, textiles and other
plastics. (J. Bayer et al.2017). Also, according to Amurao, LDPE plastic bags are commonly
used in the manufacturing of utility bags and plastics for use in food packaging. This plastic
comes with a low melting point, making it ideal for heat sealing applications. The light polymer
means that the material is easy to see through. This is the material of choice for restaurants and
food joints looking to package their foods. Dry cleaners, butcheries, and suppliers of consumable
produce commonly use this type of plastic bags. Basically, plastic shopping bags that are
reusable can be made out of LLDPE while the non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags can be
made of LDPE. Ideally, “Plastic shopping bags (PSB) are produce because of its continuous
demands from the market which is why a lot of manufacture enterprise are present into plastic
production. Plastic shopping bags (PSB) are known to have a wide-range of usage. As according
to the Arlington, Virginia-based American Plastics Council, “Plastic bags are so cheap to
produce, sturdy, plentiful, easy to carry and store that they have captured at least 80 percent
(80%) of the grocery and convenience store market since they were introduced a quarter century
ago.”

However, despite of the increasing consumption of consumers of the plastic shopping

bags it is undeniable, in fact that, a plastic bag poses a threatening consequence to our
environment. It does not only have a profound effect to the landfills but also the large water
bodies around the Earth. Because of the plastic bags’ tremendous consumption it became a very
dominant issue to dispose these plastic materials, such that LDPE are very unlikely to be
biodegradable and usually takes twenty (20) to one-thousand (1,000) years to decompose
according to Motge. Because of social media platforms, broadcasting television and radio
channels, where the issues to these plastic waste pollution are being presented and featured, some
countries such as Australia, South Africa, Italy, India, Taiwan and Ireland have implemented the
ban of plastic bags. There were also countries like Singapore, USA and Denmark, which
proposed to levy taxes upon the usage of plastic bags as they can discourage its plastic
consumption. However, in our country Philippines, the solid waste treatment was not a major
concern in our society. According to Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA),
Philippines, Filipinos use nearly 17.5 billion shopping bags per year. When almost of 127
countries have implemented a total ban of plastic, specifically the shopping bags. It is only
dependent on the selected local government officials here in Philippines and business
establishment to manage the plastic bags consumption; Accordingly, there were 316 LGUs long
been imposing an ordinance of total ban of plastic bags rather than imposing of single-use
plastics (SUPs) fee as per the data of Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) in 2019. Such examples in the business establishment, in SM supermall where SM
greenbag, bio-degradable and reusable shopping bags, in 2008 was introduced, which are made
from 100 percent propylene material and has an estimated life span of two years. And in the
LGUs examples, the area of Laguna and Batangas, where LGUs tend to impose a total phase out
of plastic bags and encourages its entire locals and the tourists to use an eco-friendly shopping
bag or paper bags. Or in Quezon city and Metro Manila where Caloocan city belongs, they had
passed an ordinance of imposing a two pesos (Php2.00) each consumption of shopping bags to
commercial and convenient establishments to encourage the single-use of plastic (SUPs)/the use
of biodegradable plastic bags. To be specific, in the city of Caloocan an Ordinance No. 0503, s.
2013 was passed since September 17, 2013 where all affected retail/business establishments
within the jurisdiction of Caloocan City are prohibited from selling, providing, and using non-
biodegradable materials such as polystyrene and plastic bags as secondary packaging on dry and
wet goods. Plastic used for packing fresh wet goods directly purchased in wet markets are
considered secondary packaging and, therefore, must be biodegradable or oxo-biodegradable (or
SUPs).

However in this study, the researcher has immensely found that most studies in the total
banning of plastic shopping bags or “shopping bag free” aims only to conclude a specific
solution for the environmental awareness and protection of the society but no further study here
in Philippines aims to deal about the significant influence and changes it would impact to the
behavior of the consumer, specifically to the senior high school students of mystical rose school
of Caloocan, Inc. if the said ordinance would be implemented. Precisely, there were so many
enough reasons to encourage the senior high school students of mystical rose school of
Caloocan, Inc as a shopper to stop them from using plastic bags and instead use an eco-friendly
bag/paper bag but aiming for this would literally be a quest to achieve given the fact that their
behavior and attitude towards using plastic shopping bags has already been long-established and
habitual to their daily lives. In fact according to the study of Carol Enge, studies on plastic bag
policies often explore economic instruments but an alternative approach by focusing more on the
social consequences of a legal instrument should also assume that solutions also require
coordination of behavior and defining rights and responsibilities of the consumers, specifically
the senior high school students of mystical rose school of Caloocan, Inc. Therefore, the
researcher argues that the shopping bag free policies may incur a predicament to the behavior of
senior high school students specifically that there are senior high school students in mystical rose
school of Caloocan, Inc. who were in anti-consumption of SUPs/eco bags or not in favor of it
because of its resistance to access of convenient resources and that there is a need to determine
the needs and alternatives of these students with the imposition of total ban/ shopping bag free
ordinance. Indeed, only through this study the researcher may recommend a practicable solution
and alternatives to the problem of understanding the difficulties and challenges that they may
have perceived. Thus, in the case of the senior high school students of mystical rose school of
Caloocan, Inc., identification of their real perceptions and experiences and determining the
factors that would affect their habitual engagement in shopping may be the foremost step in
addressing the research gap.
REFERENCES:

 Gogte, M. (2009). Are Plastic GFrocery Bags Sacking the Environment? International
Journal for Quality research, 3(4),263.

 Kulkarni, S.J. (2018). Plastic Bags- Review on Problems and Remedies. International
Journal of Advanced Research in Chemical Science (IJARCS), 1.

 Abdel-Bary & Massey. (2003). ScienceDirect. Retrieved April 6, 2021, from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/low-density-poly-ethylene/pdf

 Bayer, J. et al. (2017). Chapter 5: Cellulose polymer composites (WPC). Advanced High
Strength Natural Fibre Composites in Construction. Elsevier.

 Amurao, M.B. (2019). Regulations on the Use of Plastic Bags in the Philippines and in
Other Countries. NTRC Tax Research Journal, 26-27, 36 & 57.

 Goswami, T., & Mangaraj, S. (2011) Advances in polymeric materials for modified
atmosphere packaging (MAP). Elsevier.

 Roach J. (2003, September 3). Plastic bags are so cheap to produce and sturdy that
they've captured at least 80 percent of the market. But at what cost? Retreived from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/news-plastic-grocery-bags-
recycling#:~:text=Plastic%20bags%20are%20so%20cheap%20to%20produce%2C
%20sturdy%2C%20plentiful%2C,Virginia%2Dbased%20American%20Plastics
%20Council.

RESEARCH PURPOSE:

The study aims to assess the perceived effects of plastic bag free shopping in the daily
living of SHS students of Mystical Rose School of Caloocan, Inc.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

1. How may the participants describe the role of plastic bags?

2. In what aspect of the participant’s daily living they use plastic bags?

3 .How do participants view their life without plastic bags?

4. What are the perceived effects of Plastic bag free shopping?

5. What Implications can be drawn?

RESEARCH DESIGN: DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH DESIGN

EXPLANATION:

In order to see the perceived effects of plastic bag free shopping on the daily lives of the
Senior High School students of Mystical Rose School of Caloocan, Inc., the appropriate research
design in our study is descriptive research design. It used to obtain information concerning the
current status to describe "what exist" with respect to variables or the condition in a situation.
This study also observed and described aspects of situation as it naturally occurs. It also provides
answer in our question of how participants view their life without plastic bags in daily life. The
study that we are going to conduct can yield data that can lead to important recommendations. It
also allowed the researchers to carefully describe systematically and accurately the facts.