The effect of single-use plastic bans on coastal litter: Evidence from straw and foam container policies

Plastic pollution is an environmental issue of great concern. With so many of the world’s goods being produced with plastic and intended for one single use, much of this plastic is bound to end up as litter. States and municipalities have enacted policies to restrict single-use plastics in recent years, and this thesis aims to determine whether these policies have also been effective in reducing single-use plastic litter. Using citizen science litter data and a staggered event study design, I examine the effect of policies that restrict polystyrene foam and single-use plastic straws across the United States. I find that foam bans are effective in reducing foam food container litter, with a statistically significant 51% decline in the amount of food container litter collected per volunteer in the first year of the foam ban. I also find that foam bans and straw bans are weakly effective in reducing foam cup and plate and plastic straw litter, while policies making straws available upon request have no effect on straw litter. This research has important implications for policymakers considering future regulation of single-use plastic items.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural & Applied Econ

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Schaefer, Jenna

Contributors dc:contributor

• Taylor, Becca
• Endres, Renata
• Skidmore, Marin

• Litter
• plastic
• single-use plastic bans
• citizen science

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Jenna Schaefer

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129582

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129582