Plastic-Free Tourism Initiatives and Behavioral Change: Evaluating Policy Effectiveness in Indonesian National Parks
Keywords:
plastic-free tourism, policy effectiveness, behavioural change, Indonesian national parks, single-use plastic, waste audit, quasi-experimental evaluationAbstract
Plastic-free tourism initiatives have proliferated across Indonesian national parks since 2022, yet systematic evaluation of their effectiveness — measured against both waste-reduction outcomes and behavioural change among visitors and operators — remains limited. While policy declarations are well documented, the translation of declarations into measurable on-park outcomes depends on policy design, enforcement capacity, alternative-provision infrastructure, and visitor behavioural response, none of which can be assumed. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of plastic-free policies across three Indonesian national parks at distinct policy maturation stages — Komodo National Park (mature: post-2022 single-use plastic ban), Gunung Rinjani National Park (intermediate: 2024 phased reduction policy), and Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (early-stage: 2025 voluntary guidelines) — using a quasi-experimental policy evaluation design. Data were collected between January and February 2026 and comprise: waste audits at 18 sample sites generating 432 individual waste samples; structured behavioural observation of 1,140 visitor interactions at park entrances and within-park sites; 314 visitor surveys; and 28 stakeholder interviews with park managers, operators, and waste-management staff. Findings reveal that policy maturity correlates positively with waste-reduction outcomes (Komodo: 47% reduction in single-use plastic intensity; Rinjani: 28%; Bromo: 11%), but that maturity alone is insufficient — alternative-provision infrastructure, enforcement architecture, and visitor pre-arrival communication are decisive moderators. The study introduces the Plastic-Free Policy Effectiveness Framework (PPEF), a four-domain diagnostic instrument linking policy design, infrastructure, enforcement, and behavioural-change vectors to measurable waste-reduction outcomes. Implications are drawn for SDGs 12, 14, 15, and 17.
Keywords: plastic-free tourism; policy effectiveness; behavioural change; Indonesian national parks; single-use plastic; waste audit; quasi-experimental evaluation
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