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url('https://foodprint.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/AdobeStock_468491793_Editorial_Use_Only_1920x960_v2.jpg') center/cover;"></div> </header> <main role="main" id="main-content" tabindex="-1" style="outline: none;"> <div class="shapes shapes__title"> <div class="container"> <h1 class="display display--1">Are plastic bag bans working?</h1> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="blog-author"> <div class="blog-author__label"> <p> by <a href="https://foodprint.org/authors/jodi-helmer/" class="blog-author__link">Jodi Helmer</a> </p> <p class="caption">Published: 11/11/24, Last updated: 11/22/24</p> </div> <div class="social-menu"> <span class="display display--4">share:</span> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://foodprint.org/blog/are-plastic-bag-bans-working" target="_blank"><i class="icon-facebook"></i></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://foodprint.org/blog/are-plastic-bag-bans-working&text=Are plastic bag bans working?" target="_blank"><i class="icon-twitter"></I></a> <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aa958cc8c5ced397c2dededad9908585ccc5c5cedad8c3c4de84c5d8cd85c8c6c5cd85cbd8cf87dac6cbd9dec3c987c8cbcd87c8cbc4d987ddc5d8c1c3c4cd" target="_blank"><i class="icon-e-mail"></i></a> </div>  </div> </div> <div class="container container--padded"> </div> <div class="container">  <div class="body"> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The introduction of single use <a href="https://foodprint.org/blog/plastic-and-climate-change/">plastic</a> bag bans mean that “paper or plastic” isn’t an option at supermarkets in some cities and states.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In response to growing <a href="https://www.seasidesustainability.org/post/why-plastic-bag-bans-work">concern</a> about the volume of single-use plastic bags in landfills or the ocean — as well as <a href="https://foodprint.org/blog/plastic-and-climate-change/">the carbon footprint required to produce those bags</a> — states started passing bag bans. In 2014, California became the first to ban single-use plastic bags. Since then, 11 states — Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington — have followed suit and passed some form of <a href="https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Plastic-Bag-Bans-Work-January-2024.pdf">statewide ban</a> on single-use plastic bags.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“Plastic bags are one of the most deadly forms of plastic pollution,” says Anja Brandon, director of plastics policy for the <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/">Ocean Conservancy</a>. “We have nearly 40 years of data showing us that these items are highly problematic for our ocean [and] show up time and time again in our top 10 list of most commonly collected items from our international coastal cleanup.”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Bag bans were designed to cut down on a portion of the <a href="https://www.unep.org/interactives/beat-plastic-pollution/">five trillion</a> single-use plastic bags that are used worldwide every year and the environmental, social, health and economic issues associated with the production of petroleum-based plastics.</p> </div>  <div class="silc-grid two-column silc-grid--collapse"> <div class="silc-grid__col silc-grid__col--12"> <div class="silc-grid__col silc-grid__col--6-md silc-grid__col--5-lg silc-grid__col--4-xl aside-image--right remove--padding-right"> <div class="report-sidebar report-sidebar--flexible"> <div class="report-sidebar__label"> <h4 class="display display--4">Dig Deeper</h4> </div> <div class="report-sidebar__info"> <img class="report-sidebar__image" src="https://foodprint.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/AdobeStock_251816769_1920x960.jpg" alt="plastic-and-climate-change" loading="lazy"> <a href="https://foodprint.org/blog/plastic-and-climate-change/" class="btn-link">Plastic and climate change</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="body"> <h2>Behind the bans</h2> <p style="font-weight: 400;">After single-use plastic bags are used to carry groceries or line trash cans, most end up in the landfill or the oceans. Over <a href="https://www.ifaw.org/journal/plastic-pollution-ocean?ms=UONDC230037102&utm_term=how%20much%20plastic%20is%20in%20the%20ocean&utm_campaign=US:+Issues&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=2229073039&hsa_cam=12621435749&hsa_grp=145016322892&hsa_ad=614908954501&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-296908215090&hsa_kw=how%20much%20plastic%20is%20in%20the%20ocean&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwhdWkBhBZEiwA1ibLmFrn2RnABC9ZFVlqigKYWk5QjQQ262KrZZV64eOhn91TTLRHbQ0xQRoCnsgQAvD_BwE">one million tons</a> of plastic end up in the ocean each year where sea turtles, dolphins, whales and other aquatic life can get tangled in plastics or mistake it for food, causing serious injuries or health issues.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Plastic is <a href="https://foodprint.org/blog/plastic-and-climate-change/">more than just litter</a>. It’s a petrochemical byproduct and it’s estimated that the U.S. plastics industry generates <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5eda91260bbb7e7a4bf528d8/t/617032df8db35120e6facca3/1634743009517/Summary_Of_Findings_The_New-Coal_Plastics_and_Climate_Change.pdf">232 million</a> metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, which is equivalent to the emissions from 50 million cars annually.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Plastic bag bans were implemented to address the issue. A new Ocean Conservancy report found that the increase in statewide plastic bag bans has resulted in a 29 percent reduction in the volume of plastic grocery bags found on beaches — usually a bellwether of how many plastic bags are in circulation — but single-use plastic bag bans might still be falling short.</p> <h2>The downside of bag bans</h2> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Not all bag bans are created equal. Each of the cities, counties and states that have enacted legislation have taken a <a href="https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Plastic-Bag-Bans-Work-January-2024.pdf">different approach</a> to reducing the use of single-use plastic bags and some have proven to be more effective than others.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In Santa Barbara, California, where single-use plastic bags are banned in supermarkets, drug stores and convenience stores, the legislation has saved 490 bags per person annually while plastic bag bans at restaurants and retail stores in Philadelphia saved just 127 bags per person annually, according to recent <a href="https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Plastic-Bag-Bans-Work-January-2024.pdf">data</a>. So why are there discrepancies? The devil is in the details.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">California, the first to pass a statewide plastic bag ban, banned single-use plastic bags at supermarket checkouts but allowed stores to sell thicker plastic bags that were considered reusable. It was an unintentional loophole that created more plastic waste.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="silc-grid"> <div class="silc-grid__col silc-grid__col--12"> <div class="statistic-callout"> <div class="statistic-callout__statistic"> <div class="shapes shapes__hero"> <p class="display display--1">490</p> </div> </div> <div class="statistic-callout__text"> <p class="display display--2">plastic bags saved per person annually in Santa Barbara, California</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="body"> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“Unfortunately, people are largely not reusing them,” explains State Senator Catherine Blakespear. “The plastic bag ban was basically not effective…it created more plastic waste.”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, after the ban was implemented, the amount of plastic waste in California reached the <a href="https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Plastic-Bag-Bans-Work-revd.pdf">highest levels</a> on record. A 2022 plastic bag ban in New Jersey had a similar impact, according to <a href="https://www.freedoniagroup.com/press-releases/freedonia-report-finds-new-jersey-single-use-bag-ban-boosts-alternative-bag-production,-increases-pl">research</a> that linked bag bans to the use of six times more woven and non-woven polypropylene plastic and a 500 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291023/scho0711buan-e-e.pdf">Researchers</a> found that a non-woven polypropylene bag would need to be used at least 11 times to have a lower environmental impact than a supermarket plastic bag. The problem, according to Blakespear, is that doesn’t happen.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“Unfortunately, people are largely not reusing them,” she says. “They might reuse them once but they’re not reusing them [enough times] that it would actually make a difference.”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Melissa Valliant, communications director for <a href="https://www.beyondplastics.org/">Beyond Plastics</a>, questions the validity of the research.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“The [New Jersey research] is another example of the industry getting involved behind the scenes and deceiving consumers that these bans aren’t working,” she says.</p> </div>  <div class="silc-grid two-column silc-grid--collapse"> <div class="silc-grid__col silc-grid__col--12"> <div class="silc-grid__col silc-grid__col--6-md silc-grid__col--5-lg silc-grid__col--3-xl aside-image--right"> <div class="report-sidebar "> <div class="report-sidebar__label"> Read our report <span class="report-sidebar__label-impact">The FoodPrint of Food Packaging</span> </div> <div class="report-sidebar__info" style="background-image: url('https://foodprint.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/food-packaging-report.jpg');"> <div class="report-sidebar__info-text"> <a href="https://foodprint.org/reports/the-foodprint-of-food-packaging/" class="btn btn--white">Learn More</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="body"> <p style="font-weight: 400;">A closer look reveals that the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, a group that lobbies against plastic bag bans, funded the research, which has been called “<a href="https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-plastic-bag-ban-study-misinformation/">misinformation</a>.” But data for the increase in plastic pollution following the 2014 bag ban in California came from CalRecycle and was cited in a joint report from Environment America, CALPIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Blakespear believes that the loophole in California’s law was problematic for plastic pollution and she has supported updates to the state’s bag ban. <a href="https://calrecycle.ca.gov/plastics/carryoutbags/">New legislation</a> passed in 2024 and aims to close the loophole by eliminating the option to purchase thicker plastic bags at supermarket checkouts.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Starting in January 2026, shoppers will be asked, “Do you want a paper bag or did you bring your own bag?” The bill also requires the paper bags stocked in supermarkets to be made from at least 50 percent recycled paper.</p> <h2 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Reversing bag bans</strong><strong> </strong></h2> <p style="font-weight: 400;">During the pandemic, concerns that reusable shopping bags could contribute to the spread of COVID-19 led lawmakers to pause or repeal single-use plastic bag bans. But efforts to “ban the bans” didn’t end with the pandemic.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">A total of 10 states — Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi and Wisconsin — have <a href="https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/SBR/pdfs/PlasticBagsBannedAroundWorld.pdf">preemptive bans</a> on banning plastic bags, legislation aimed at preventing bag bans from ever being introduced. Athens, Ohio, overturned its bag ban in 2023 when the judge called it “<a href="https://woub.org/2024/08/29/judge-rules-single-use-plastic-bag-ban-athens-violates-state-law/">unconstitutional</a>” for a county to ban single-use plastic bags because it conflicted with state law that allows retailers to use plastic bags. <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09032024/battle-over-plastic-bag-bans/">Legislation</a> proposed in Floridawould prohibit local towns from banning single-use plastic items, including plastic bags.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Brandon calls the reversals and outright bans on bans “disappointing” but not surprising.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s not the first time we’ve seen these strong environmental policies challenged,” she says. “In each of these states, overturning the bans will undo the work that we’ve done [and] the progress that we’ve made. It’s unfortunate to see these efforts get politicized when really we should be thinking about what’s best for the environment and our oceans.”</p> <p> </p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="silc-grid"> <div class="silc-grid__col silc-grid__col--12"> <div class="shapes shapes__spotlight"> <blockquote> <p class="display display--3">"It's unfortunate to see these efforts get politicized when really we should be thinking about what's best for the environment and our oceans."</p> <footer> <p class="display display--4">Anja Brandon</p> <cite>director of plastics policy for the Ocean Conservancy</cite> </footer> </blockquote> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="body"> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Valliant blames the plastics industry for the backlash on bag bans, explaining, “Reducing the reliance on single use plastic is going to affect their bottom line and that is their primary concern. It’s not the concern of environmental health, it’s not the concern of human health, it’s not the concern of environmental justice or climate change—all of which are problems caused by single-use plastics.”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In areas where bag bans have been prevented or overturned, Brandon hopes that education about the benefits of reusable bags will create some resilience in the system and prevent a complete backslide but admits it won’t be enough to combat the negative environmental effects of allowing single-use plastic bags.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Enforcing bans remains challenging. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has faced criticism over its failure to enforce bag bans. In first two years the ban was in effect, one <a href="https://citylimits.org/2022/02/10/plastic-bags-still-ubiquitous-in-nyc-shops-months-after-enforcement-of-ban-began/">report</a> found that New York state had issued fewer than 24 violations. Business owners, the report stated, struggled to implement the ban and alleged that the state had done little to educate them about making the switch.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In 2023, New York residents and environmental groups <a href="https://www.beyondplastics.org/press-releases/enforce-nys-bag-ban-bottle-bill">asserted</a> that stores continue to distribute single-use plastic bags despite a 2020 ban. Their complaint: Without enforcement, plastic bags will continue to go to landfills and incinerators and end up in waterways where they harm wildlife.</p> <h2 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Bag bans can work, if done right</strong></h2> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the challenges, bag bans have the potential to reduce single-use plastic bag consumption and cut down on waste.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“Plastic bags are highly polluting, highly problematic and highly replaceable,” Brandon says. “Plastic bag bans…are the single best option for removing this type of pollution.”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Legislation with loopholes can lead to more waste and bag bans must be well-designed to be effective. A new <a href="https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Plastic-Bag-Bans-Work-January-2024.pdf">report </a>recommends zero distribution of plastic film bags of any thickness at checkout and a fee of at least 10 cents for each single-use paper bag along with regular enforcement to ensure compliance.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Single-use plastic bag bans aren’t going to solve the plastic pollution crisis, but Brandon calls them “an important piece of the puzzle.”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“We need to be reducing the use and production of plastic, stopping the problem at the source in order to effectively curb the plastic pollution crisis,” she adds. “In addition, there are things that needs to be supplemented and that includes the government of all levels helping to create an infrastructure that promotes reusable and refillable products.”</p> </div>  <div class="section section__subscribe section__subscribe--shaped"> <div class="container"> <div class="subscribe"> <h2 class="display display--2">Get the latest food news from FoodPrint</h2> <p></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <div class="wpcf7 no-js" id="wpcf7-f378-p18009-o1" lang="en-US" dir="ltr"> <div class="screen-reader-response"><p role="status" aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true"></p> <ul></ul></div> <form action="/blog/are-plastic-bag-bans-working/#wpcf7-f378-p18009-o1" method="post" class="wpcf7-form init chimpmatic-1.3.8 mailchimp-ext-0.5.72" aria-label="Contact form" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <div style="display: none;"> <input type="hidden" name="_wpcf7" value="378" /> <input type="hidden" name="_wpcf7_version" value="5.9.8" /> <input type="hidden" name="_wpcf7_locale" value="en_US" /> <input type="hidden" name="_wpcf7_unit_tag" value="wpcf7-f378-p18009-o1" /> <input type="hidden" name="_wpcf7_container_post" value="18009" /> <input type="hidden" name="_wpcf7_posted_data_hash" value="" /> <input type="hidden" name="_wpcf7_recaptcha_response" value="" /> </div> <p><label for="newsletter-first-name" class="visible-for-screen-readers">First name</label><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap" data-name="FNAME"><input size="40" maxlength="400" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text subscribe__form-input" id="newsletter-first-name" aria-invalid="false" placeholder="First Name" value="" type="text" name="FNAME" /></span><label for="newsletter-last-name" class="visible-for-screen-readers">Last name</label><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap" data-name="LNAME"><input size="40" maxlength="400" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text subscribe__form-input" id="newsletter-last-name" aria-invalid="false" placeholder="Last Name" value="" type="text" name="LNAME" /></span><label for="newsletter-email" class="visible-for-screen-readers">Email address</label><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap" data-name="your-email"><input size="40" maxlength="400" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-email wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-email subscribe__form-input" id="newsletter-email" aria-required="true" aria-invalid="false" placeholder="Email Address (required)" value="" type="email" name="your-email" /></span><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner btn btn-white" type="submit" value="Sign Up" /> </p><div class="wpcf7-response-output" aria-hidden="true"></div><p style="display: none !important"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input type="hidden" name="referer-page" value="http://Direct%20Visit" data-value="http://Direct%20Visit" class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" aria-invalid="false"></span></p>  </form> </div> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By subscribing to communications from FoodPrint, you are agreeing to receive emails from us. 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