User:DogCEO/Plastic bag ban
Criticism
[edit][edit] Plastic bag bans can lead to larger black markets in plastic bags. Studies show that plastic bag bans can shift people away from using thin plastic bags, but it can also increase the use of unregulated single use paper bags or unregulated thicker plastic bags in areas where these are provided for free. Further, the bans can drive significant increases in sales of trash bags because people could no longer reuse their old grocery bags for things like lining small trash cans..[excessive citations]
Although the thicker reusable bags that are intended to replace single-use bags are recyclable, they require a specific recycling process which requires that they be disposed of separately from other household recyclable materials.[1][2] An estimated 6% of plastic bags are recycled.[3] This can lead to an overall increase in plastic waste from plastic bags.[2][3]
The production of some non-plastic bags (e.g. paper, cotton, using virgin plastic such as plastic having thickness of 50 micron) can produce more greenhouse gas emissions than plastic bags, which means that greenhouse gas emissions may increase on net following plastic bag bans. Alternatives to plastic bags would need to be reused over a hundred times to make them more environmentally friendly than plastic bags. They are also viewed as less sanitary than plastic because they can bring germs from outside the store to high contact volume surfaces like carts and check out stands.
Legislation around the world
[edit]United States
[edit][edit] Main article: Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags in the United States
There is no national plastic bag fee or ban currently in effect in the United States. However, the states of California, Connecticut (July 2021), Delaware (2021), Hawaii (de facto), Maine (January 2021), New Jersey (May 2022), New York, Oregon, Vermont (July 2020) and Washington (2021) and the territories of American Samoa, Guam (2021), Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have banned disposable bags. By September 2018, about 350 counties and municipalities had enacted ordinances either imposing a fee on plastic bags or banning them outright, including all counties in Hawaii. Other attempts at banning plastic shopping bags statewide (for example in Massachusetts, though as of August 2019, 122 cities and towns in the state have done so)) have not succeeded mainly due to plastic industry lobbying. A few jurisdictions have chosen to implement a fee-only approach to bag reduction such as Connecticut, Washington, D.C. and adjacent Montgomery County, Maryland. Some US states, such as Florida and Arizona, have passed laws preventing local municipalities from passing their own bans.
The California Senate passed Senate Bill 270 in 2014 that banned the free single-use plastic bags available at grocery stores. This ban specified that plastic bags available at grocery stores must be 2.25 millimeters thick, contain at least 40% recycled materials, and be recyclable within California.[4] This bill was passed with timeframes for progressively tighter restrictions. Violations are punishable by fines.[4][5] The California Senate is currently considering a new plastic bag ban through Senate bill 1053, which could ban all plastic bags at registers.[5]
Thailand
[edit]Thailand banned all free single-use plastics in 2020, including plastic bags.[6]
Oceania
[edit]Australia
[edit] | Parts of this user page (those related to this section) need to be updated. The reason given is: Lightweight plastic bags are still available legally in some retailers in Australia. Please help update this user page to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2024) |
Although there is no nationwide ban on lightweight bags, they are banned in all states and territories.[7] Coles Bay, Tasmania was the first location in Australia to ban lightweight plastic bags.[8] The introduction of the "Zero Waste" program in South Australia led to its lightweight bag ban in October 2008. It is estimated that 400 million bags are saved each year.[9] Western Australia and Queensland banned them in July 2018 and Victoria introduced a ban in November 2019.[10][11][12] Bans in the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania allow lightweight bags that are biodegradable.[13]
In Australia, 6 billion HDPE bags were used in 2002.[14] Usage reduced to 5.6 billion in 2004,[15] and 3.9 billion in 2007.[14]
After the two biggest supermarket chains in Australia banned single-use plastic grocery bags, the consumption of plastic bags in Australia dropped by 80% in three months.[16]
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[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Plastic". July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Roy, Jessica (August 24, 2023). "California's plastic bag ban is failing. here's why". LA Times. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Thompson, Don (December 29, 2022). "Thicker, reusable plastic bags in ca might not be recyclable". abc10. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "SB 1053: Solid waste: Reusable grocery bags: Standards: Plastic film prohibition". CalMatters.org. July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Jacobson, Eva. "CALIFORNIA'S LAW BANNING PLASTIC BAGS". Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Mangmeechai, Aweewan (July 26, 2024). "Plastic bag ban policy in Thailand: A step into the 20-year roadmap for Plastic Waste Management". Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ "Single-use plastics banned under new law". NSW Government. 16 November 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ "Tasmania carries eco-fight, bans plastic bags". Mail & Guardian. 29 April 2003. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
- ^ "Plastic Bag Ban". Zero Waste South Australia. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2012. [permanent dead link]
- ^ "New laws that will affect Australia". January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ "Plastic bag ban gets green light in Queensland". ABC News. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ "Victoria set to ban plastic bags next year". Retrieved 18 July 2018.
- ^ "BAG BANS ACROSS AUSTRALIA". bagban.com.au. July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Plastic bags". Australian Government. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Plastic Bag Fact Sheet" (PDF). Sustainability Victoria. 9 November 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ Lorraine Chow, Lorraine (3 December 2018). "Australia Cuts 80% of Plastic Bag Use in 3 Short Months". Ecowatch. Retrieved 9 December 2018.