One of the most glaring reasons to avoid an entire statewide ban on plastic bags is the durability, cost, and multi-use capabilities that plastic offers in comparison to paper and other types of reusable bags (Repainting Green, 2011). While paper bags easily deteriorate or tear, and cotton or hemp bags really only serve one purpose of touting groceries from the car to the home, plastic bags have a wealth of uses. Many families find themselves using extra plastic bags for substitute trash bags, storage, or protection from moisture. Plastic bags are, in fact, the original “reusable” bags due to these purposes alone, and their inexpensive production means both retailers and consumers are able to transport materials for a very small price.
With a ban on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores, shoppers are inherently inclined to increase their usage of paper bags. Although paper bags will likely include a fee with a ban on plastic bags, many individuals will continue to use them if they routinely forget to bring along a cotton or reusable bag with them to the grocery store. Paper production requires a huge amount of water and a shockingly varied list of toxic chemicals, and emits nearly 50 percent more greenhouse gases than plastic production (World Counts, 2014). In addition, the act of producing paper obviously requires lots of trees, and as deforestation becomes an increasingly dire environmental issue, banning plastic may not do much to counteract it.
While banning plastic bags will inevitably cost retailers much more (paper bags are usually around 15 to 20 cents more per bag than plastic), it will also hurt small businesses and low-income families by costing them the same amount (Heisters, 2008). Although this may seem like a small price to pay, paying 20 cents more per bag with each grocery trip can really add up for families and individuals. Additionally, shoppers may start to take their business elsewhere (i.e. to stores that are outside a bag-banned region) which could hurt local, small businesses that depend on a steady stream of regular customers.
The last, and perhaps the most curious, downside to a statewide plastic bag ban is the effect it can have on sales of other types of plastic (Schwanke, 2014). When Ireland implemented a similar plastic bag ban, they saw an increase of nearly 77 percent in sales of garbage bags, as individuals were essentially compelled to buy other types of plastic when prohibited from grocery bags. Because of this, a ban could actually be counterintuitive and end up exacerbating plastic pollution even more by simply reducing the amount of plastic in one category and increasing it in another. If Oregon decided to enforce a statewide ban on single-use bags, it could turn out to not be the most economical choice for everyone.
References
Repainting Green. “Should Plastic Bags Be Bygones?” Repainting The World Green . N.p., 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 May 2017. <https://repaintinggreen.wordpress.com/tag/pros-and-cons-of-plastic-bags/>.
The World Counts. “Paper Waste Facts .” TheWorldCounts. N.p., 13 May 2014. Web. 30 May 2017. <http://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/Paper-Waste-Facts>.
Smith-Heisters, Sarah . “Paper Grocery Bags Require More Energy Than Plastic Bags.” Reason Foundation . N.p., 17 Apr. 2008. Web. <http://reason.org/news/show/paper-grocery-bags-require-mor>.
Schwanke , Crystal . “Why Should We Not Ban Plastic Bags.” GreenLiving . N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2017. <http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Why_Should_We_Not_Ban_Plastic_Bags>.
what .?
This is a very good article. What part don’t you understand or agree? Love plastic bag! It is a huge invention to the man-kind. With less than 100 years, this is the product people used daily more than anything! Except we cannot eat plastic we live with plastic day and night! Please make plastic cars and houses, so more people can have transportation to anywhere they want, and there will be no homeless because it is so affordable! Everyone in the world can have it! As long as you can use plastic to make it, the cost is reduced. This is the most convenient product for all human-being!
Yeah, I agree! Also, even though plastic is a bit bad for us, we still shouldn’t ban them. We just need to RECYCLE.
Bags and many other plastics alike cause birth defects such as increased adiposity (incresed fat production), insulin resistance, roubles manageing endocrine (a complex system consisting of ovaries, pancreas, thyroid, etc),decrese in metabolism, Troubles with development, decresed growth, respitory problems. It causes oxidative stress which is the irritation of the trachea and lungs. Symptoms of oxidative stress include coughing, sneezeing, fatiqe, and dizzyness. This causes micohondrial damage in the very cells of your lungs due to high concentration of these microplastics. no its not just a little bit bad for us lol
reserch shows that only 5% of it is recycled.
Womp womp
This is a serious topic not something you should joke about.
I agree 100 percent. The problem is not the plastic bag, the problem is that in the past 30 years no one has thought of ways to improve recycling. Recycling needs more education. Recycling needs better adoption. Recycling needs newer and environmentally sound methods.
If we can improve these 3 things we can lower cost for recycling for states and municipalities. Through better education we can improve adoption of recycling.
A ban on plastic bags is literally like sticking your head in the sand and saying I don’t want to learn how to fix this so let’s just get rid of it. All at the expense of the consumer and small business.
naw mate pollution is good
I agree with you all the way! Pollution is one of the only things that keeps the world spinning.
I agree with you all the way! Pollution is one of the only things that keeps the world spinning. I <3 pollution!
I know it is a good article!
ur dumb
Ban plastic bag is a banner for people don’t want to think hard. These are haters. They pick anything easy to attack without offer a meaningful solution. Please don’t follow into this trap. Think hard for a more balanced solution. Before a solution is available, reduce the consumption is reasonable.
When was this thing published?
Ah, yes the glory days. Thinking back to the time when I could walk onto a beach where it was clean, then somebody had to be skipidi Sigma Ohio chat and mess it all up. #NORIZZ
Plastic bag bans work to reduce plastic bag litter. The results of removing these ugly bags from the trees that line the streets all over my city are impressive. Grocery plastic bags have gotten so thin that they regularly tear when packed with all the different-shaped containers from the grocery store, so often times baggers “double-bag” for groceries or place very few items in one single plastic bag. The result is an enormous quantity of plastic bags after just a few trips to the store. Reducing this kind of litter might not have a tremendous ecological impact but it does beautify the City!
Melissa,
Until they come cut down the trees to make paper bags. Then what?
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No I don’t think plastic bags should be banned just because other people litter and and don’t recycle ♻️ that shouldn’t affect the people that do they need to start fineing people for that and start a clean up around counties in the summer time for kids to get out together and clean and maybe go places and clean
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This article was great as I bought 7 items today with various forms of plastic packaging but did not have a plastic bag to put them in because of a recent bag ban in my community. I went searching for a better solution and found your article.
As I mentioned in a reply to someone else’s comment, I believe the solution lies in improvements to recycling. Education about the benefits and how to sort appropriately for it to be economically and physically feasible. Improvements to the recycling industry would go a long way to improve the environment then banning a single product. If there were improvements it would be more affordable for states and municipalities to participate in recycling programs.
I hope your article inspires more people to think about how to improve recycling programs.
like I said already pollution bieth good
this info is fake.. if you believe it, you are dumb and as much as a danger as plastic bags are.. nice graph made in paint.