Environmental Communication on Plastic Use: The Perspectives of the Balaoan Community

Abstract

This qualitative study was driven by the need to learn about the viewpoints of the Balaoan community regarding the environmental communication issue on plastic use as this is an interesting and relevant concept under development communication. This study poses the research question: what is the community's view on plastic use? The answer to this question emerged when I explored; (1) what the community knows and believes about plastic use; (2) how the community reacts to plastic use and its regulation (3) and what the community recommends to improve environmental communication to spread awareness on plastic use. The study utilized interviews in gathering data from 10 residents of Balaoan, La Union. The research employed content analysis to make sense of the interviews. The interviews were recorded, translated and transcribed in order to identify codes, themes, and sub-themes that constitute the community's view on plastic use. From the analysis, three major themes were identified: (1) using plastic; (2) regulating plastic use; (3) and communicating proper plastic use. Each major theme has sub-themes which were further discussed in the manuscript. In conclusion, the community's view on plastic use prompts the need to educate the people more about this issue as this may help people understand the components and aspects of plastic and its use that are detrimental to the health and the environment. This calls attention to different stakeholders in communicating proper plastic use and also providing safer and cheaper alternatives of plastic for the community's consumption.