GLOBALISATION OF HOMO ECONOMICUS AND PLASTIC BAG REGULATIONS

Year 2023, Issue: 25, 31 - 50, 15.01.2023

Mehmet Özyürek

Abstract

Globalisation creates some negative and positive outcomes. Environmental problems that stem from plastic waste can be one of the examples of these negative outcomes. Governments all around the world look for strategies to reduce plastic waste. In this way, neoliberal policies and regulations based upon market actors in reducing the use of plastics can be seen as strategies popularly used by governments. Such policies and regulations are favoured by free-market economists as letting people make their own free choices without any interference by the government. Environmental governance strategies based upon consumer choices can be good examples in this regard. In fact, one of these strategies, plastic bag charges/taxes, has become globalised in recent years. This study specifically explores such regulations evident in steering the individuals’ behaviour by highlighting the concept of homo economicus. Rather than focusing on whether these strategies are efficient or not, the study emphasises that homo economicus oriented plastic bag charges/taxes are away from to target the real cause of the global pollution stemming from use of plastics by criticising the neoliberal philosophy of plastic bag charges/taxes from a normative and qualitative perspective.

Keywords

Globalisation, Environmental Law, Neoliberalism, Homo Economicus, Law and Economics

Küreselleşen Homo Economicus ve Plastik Poşet Düzenlemeleri

Abstract

Küreselleşme birçok olumlu ve olumsuz sonucu beraberinde getirmektedir. Plastik atıklar sonucu ortaya çıkan çevre kirliliği küreselleşmenin yarattığı olumsuz sonuçlardan biri olarak görülebilir. Dünyanın farklı yerlerindeki hükümetler plastik atık sorununa çözüm stratejileri aramaktadır. Bu hususta piyasa aktörlerinin tercihleriyle şekillenen neoliberal politikalar ve düzenlemeler birçok hükümet tarafından kullanılan uygulamalar haline gelmiştir. Bu politikalar ve düzenlemeler serbest piyasa ekonomistlerinin ateşli bir şekilde savundukları devlet müdahalesi yerine özgür birey tercihlerinden yana olan bir bakış açısını öne çıkartmaktadır. Tüketici tercihleri üzerine kurulu çevresel yönetişim düzenlemeleri bunların en güzel örneği olabilir. Bu çalışma söz konusu düzenlemelerden olan ve son yıllarda küresel bir boyuta ulaşan plastik poşetleri ücretli hale getiren/vergilendiren yasal düzenlemeleri incelemektedir. Bu inceleme ekonomik insan anlamına gelen homo economicus kavramına odaklanmaktadır. Çalışma söz konusu hukuki düzenlemelerin başarılı olup olmadığıyla ilgilenmekten ziyade bu uygulamaların normatif ve nitel bir bakış açısı ile eleştirisini hedeflemektedir. Çalışmanın amacı bireylerin özgür tercihleri üzerine kurulu olduğu iddia edilen söz konusu düzenlemelerin sınırlarına dikkat çekmek ve bu düzenlemelerin plastik atık sorununun küresel yönetişiminde kullandığı neoliberal yaklaşımın ne ölçüde sorunlu olduğunu irdelemektir.

Keywords

Küreselleşme, Çevre Hukuku, Neoliberalizm, Homo Economicus, Hukuk ve Ekonomi

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