Are plastic bag bans working?

The introduction of single use plastic bag bans mean that “paper or plastic” isn’t an option at supermarkets in some cities and states.

In response to growing concern about the volume of single-use plastic bags in landfills or the ocean — as well as the carbon footprint required to produce those bags — 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 statewide ban on single-use plastic bags.

“Plastic bags are one of the most deadly forms of plastic pollution,” says Anja Brandon, director of plastics policy for the Ocean Conservancy. “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.”

Bag bans were designed to cut down on a portion of the five trillion 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.

“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.”

In fact, after the ban was implemented, the amount of plastic waste in California reached the highest levels on record. A 2022 plastic bag ban in New Jersey had a similar impact, according to research 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.

Researchers 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.

“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.”

Melissa Valliant, communications director for Beyond Plastics, questions the validity of the research.

“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.

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.”

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.

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 report 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.

In 2023, New York residents and environmental groups asserted 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.

Bag bans can work, if done right

Despite the challenges, bag bans have the potential to reduce single-use plastic bag consumption and cut down on waste.

“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.”

Legislation with loopholes can lead to more waste and bag bans must be well-designed to be effective. A new report 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.

Single-use plastic bag bans aren’t going to solve the plastic pollution crisis, but Brandon calls them “an important piece of the puzzle.”

“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.”

Top image by Tada Images/ Adobe Stock.