newYou can now listen to Fox News articles.
Thirteen states across the country have enacted bans on “single-use” plastic bags, and more than 500 cities have taken similar measures. There may be more to come.
Environmental groups say these bags are difficult to recycle, pollute oceans and therefore our food sources, and can take 1,000 years to biodegrade. According to the Sierra Club, we may be ingesting up to one credit card’s worth of plastic each week.
States and local governments have begun passing laws to reduce plastic waste, with the idea that forcing consumers to change their shopping habits will somehow save the planet. Many organizations tout these bans as successful. But data suggests otherwise.
Shoppers carry items in plastic bags near a sign promoting a plastic bag-free shopping experience. (Romeo Gacado/AFP via Getty Images)
Market research group Freedonia Group recently reported that New Jersey’s plastic consumption has tripled since the ban went into effect in 2022. The non-woven polypropylene bags the customer purchased as an alternative contain 15 times more plastic and are a material that is not widely recycled domestically. US.
California’s plastic bag ban will lead to more plastic waste, consumer advocates say
The increased production of this material for bags has led to a 500% increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. And much of it ends up in landfills, which is completely counterproductive to what you’re trying to accomplish.
New Jersey residents are purchasing these alternative bags in significant numbers to take advantage of delivery and pick-up options for groceries they leave behind at home or need to purchase every time they order. Retailers are making profits. A typical store can make $200,000 per year per store selling these bags.
Shoppers leave their stories by placing their items in reusable plastic bags. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
On the West Coast, the failure of California’s bag ban has not gone unnoticed. The New York Times reported that the Golden State discarded more plastic bags by weight last year than when the law was first passed. And the Los Angeles Times reported that the tonnage of discarded plastic bags has soared by 47%. Even accounting for population changes, that number increased from 4.08 tonnes per 1,000 people in 2014 to 5.89 tonnes per 1,000 people in 2022.
Blue states’ bag bans aimed at protecting the environment are backfiring at alarming rates: study
Apparently, California left a loophole in its law to allow the purchase of reusable thick plastic bags, which only account for a small percentage of sales and are meant to be reused over and over again. That didn’t happen. These heavier bags still ended up in landfills in large numbers, taking up even more space than the thinner bags of earlier years.
New Jersey thought it had learned from California’s mistakes by eliminating such loopholes, but the plan still backfired.
A man is sitting on a bench next to plastic bags. (Vittorio Zunino Cerotto/Getty Images)
However, loophole or not, sales of plastic garbage bags will increase significantly when single-use bag regulations are introduced (whether they are abolished or a fee is introduced). This is because disposable shopping bags are often reused as trash cans. And when that option is no longer available, you’re forced to buy actual garbage bags.
US grocery chain eliminates plastic shopping bags from all stores
Then there’s the issue of safety.
We have discovered that the reusable bags you purchased may be contaminated with bacteria. A 2011 study found a variety of harmful bacteria in 99% of reusable bags tested. All disposable bags in the sample were clean. In 2012, nine members of a soccer team contracted the virus after coming into contact with reusable bags kept in a toilet.
Once the single-use bag regulation is implemented, sales of plastic garbage bags will increase significantly. (Reuters/Gina Moon)
These reusable bags tend to travel from public transport to toilets to run-down homes. They are then returned to stores where they are sold to the public for consumption. The whole practice is not necessarily sanitary.
For more FOX News opinions, click here
The additional expenses are also significant. Consumers are already suffering from the highest inflation in decades. Charging a fee for each plastic bag or forcing people to buy multipurpose totes on top of their already high grocery bills could create further economic hardship for many Americans.
Numerous life cycle evaluations of single-use plastic bags and alternatives have demonstrated that thinner single-use bags require less energy and water to manufacture and produce less pollution and solid waste in landfills. Banning plastic bags is not beneficial for the environment.
Consumers are already suffering from the highest inflation in decades. (St. Petersburg)
Research shows that the biggest polluters of plastic waste come from Asia, especially China. The US contribution is only 1%. That’s probably 1% too much, but given its large size and population, the United States has relatively good waste management.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Rather than banning plastics, policies should focus on improving all waste management strategies from coast to coast. Particular attention should be paid to supporting foreign allies that have not developed adequate and effective ways to accomplish this mission.
In the meantime, let consumers decide which grocery delivery method best suits their needs.
Click here to read more from Kristen Walker
