Can A Plastic Bag Ban Really Work?

plastic bags, non woven bags, custom printed plastic bags, retail bags

I was just reading a story on the recently proposed law in Seattle for implementing a plastic bag reduction program. The law would impose a 20 cent tax on each and every plastic or paper bag used, which of course is aimed at reducing the waste and oil consumption associated plastic bags, and has already been implemented in other cities and states across the U.S. Many people are asking, can this idea really work? We already have the choice of buying those completely recyclable non woven bags, which are the more eco-friendly choice over paper or plastic. But how often do you find yourself in line at the grocery store only to realize you’ve left the reusable bags in the trunk, or at home, or don’t want to bother taking up extra time and annoying those waiting in line behind you?

 

I’m not saying I disagree that plastic retail bags can be wasteful, damaging to the environment, and off-putting when seen littered throughout the street, I know some changes must be made. But I wonder, much like one Seattle blogger argued, is this law really the rational way to go? While the law aims at cutting consumption of plastic bags city officials estimate that the tax will cost an average of around $62 per household, assuming that the average household consumption remains the same – at around 250 bags a year. Will the law really cut consumption then? Or will it just be another substantial cost for taxpayers? And even if the law does cut down consumption by a buoyant 40-60% how are we really making any headway in improving the environment when we’re still using an obscene amount of plastic via the plastic water bottles we use everyday.

 

According to statistics, Seattle residents use 354,000 water bottles every day. That takes about 41,000 barrels of oil to produce them... Each DAY! Compare that to the amount of oil it takes to produce plastic bags including dyed custom printed plastic bags, and its 43,000 barrels of oil to produce the city’s annual consumption. So even by cutting back on the consumption of plastic bags, we still would have a staggering amount of energy use to deal with for the daily water bottle consumption. This is something to think about.

 

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Date: 18 July 2008, Friday
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