Chesapeake Observer

Plastic Bag Bans Are Inequitable

September 2, 2024 / Featured

By W. David Montgomery, PhD The Town of Easton enacted a ban on disposable plastic bags about two years ago, with a mandatory ten-cent charge for each paper bag. It is an article of faith among a vocal minority that supporting the bag ban is a virtue right up there with temperance, justice, fortitude and prudence. That […]... Read More

FACT-CHECKING CLAIMS ABOUT PLASTIC BAGS

Claim: Reusable plastic bags reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions

Fact: Reusable bags must be reused more than 15 times to have smaller environmental impacts than disposable plastic bags. Where impacts of bans were studied, they were not kept nearly this long.

Claim: Disposable plastic bags are a large % of solid waste and filling up landfills

Fact: Plastic bags are only 0.3% of solid waste going into landfills, according to US EPA

Claim: Disposable plastic bags are a major source of road and waterway clutter

Fact: They are only 0.6% of picked up trash in roads and waterways. The Ocean Conservancy reported less than 1% of beach cleanup is disposable bags.

Claim: Disposable plastic bags form massive plastic islands

Fact: 95% of river-based, ocean-bound plastic originates from 10 river systems in Asia and Africa; improperly discarded fishing nets and gear account for the majority of plastic accumulating in ocean gyres. Besides, disposable bags just can’t get there from here. Discards go into landfills and are covered up.

Claim: Disposable plastic bags are poisoning soils

Fact: Our landfills are lined to prevent toxic leakage

Claim: Mandating reusable bags makes business happy

Fact: Big chains are happy to make more by ending the giveaway of disposable bags, selling reusable bags and collecting 10 cents for paper bags. The average retailer bag profit margin in NJ was 60 – 70% on reusable bags. Small businesses in Easton are not happy. Example: Hallmark always gave tiny paper bags with cards and trinkets, now has to charge 10 cents. Piazza has to charge for plastic bags for takeout. Customers of both are irritated.

Claim: The other states rules are different from Easton's

Fact: NJ’s is better than ours because it applies only to grocery stores. NJ bans paper bags too. Otherwise its coverage is the same.

Claim: The 10-cent charge is necessary to prevent people from switching from plastic to paper bags.

Fact: If it were not for the plastic bag ban, there would not be a problem of inducing people to switch to paper.

CONCLUSION: Those whose environmental beliefs exclude use of thin plastic bags would not be prevented from continuing if the ban were ended. But they should not impose those beliefs on the entire town, especially when the beliefs are based on factually incorrect claims.