So I wont rehash it all today, but if you listen to our episodes on fracking or the Permian Basin or the Haynesville Shale, youll learn a little bit about the villain origin story of plastic bags, and some of the many issues to which they contribute. Okay, maybe Im going overboard, but honestly, if it were a small ordeal to get a single-use bag, I could see the inconvenience of that motivating people to bring their reusable bags to the store a whole lot more than a five or ten cent tax. Thats a border shopping behavior. [deep echoey filter] ITS INSATIABLE! 1- Out of all the bags that are currently available in the market, plastic bags are the most convenient for consumers. What I found was a net benefit, we were still reducing more plastic than this rebound effect. For more than 250 years, mathematicians have wondered if the Euler equations might sometimes fail to describe a fluids flow. And thats actually increasing the carbon footprint. High costs for cleanup 8. ITS INSATIABLE! Now, Im not sure how far along plant plastic or CO2 plastic are in the development process, but certainly very exciting possibilities if they could scale up. . LASZLO: Oh, alright, if itll shut you up. How Can Soy Reduce Its Environmental Impact? If a plastic bag is reused in the home as the garbage bag in a bathroom waste bin, does that reduce its footprint by eliminating the need for another small plastic garbage bag? Again. In Staten Island, perhaps? Now, there are a few challenges to implementing a monetary policy like this. One of the biggest battery recycling plants in theUSis up and running. Increasingly, environmentalists are pushing for laws that include fees for all single-use bags, and that require paper bags to be made with recycled content, which could lower their carbon footprint. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Not So Fast Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Grist is powered by WordPress VIP. ETHAN: Another thing I wanted to bring up part of why I was so excited to talk to you is that there is the word behavioral economics in your work. Thats right, the solution to single use plastic isnt bans, its awkwardness! 500 billion plastic grocery bags are used worldwide. A New Computer Proof Blows Up Centuries-Old Fluid Equations. One of the most comprehensive research papers on the environmental impact of bags, published in 2007 by anAustralian state government agency, found that paper bags have a higher carbon footprint than plastic. Heres Dr. Taylor discussing some of her research on that front. Cracker? In accordance with the budge bill passed last year, New York State retailers will be banned from doling out single-use plastic bags, starting on March 1. The shift from one single-use bag to another single-use bag may improve one environmental outcome, but be offset by another environmental impact.. In fact, it may not even be the most effective option. Scientists believe lasting symptoms following a coronavirus infection is not a single disorder. Hopefully its not laced with xylene! Its what we put in the bag at the grocery store that really matters., 2023 Cond Nast. Thats leading to a split in the anti-bag movement. How Do We Protect Avocados From Drought, Deforestation, and Drug Cartels? And I think thats the topic I dont know enough about. Before I jump in, were trying out a little bit of a different format today. If youre singularly focused on eliminating plastic bags, theres a level of convenience from a policymaker standpoint thats tempting. 12:48 PM PDT March 16, 2023. All donations matched! Some social justice activists who work in low-income urban neighborhoods or communities of color also argue that plastic bags are a particular scourge. TAYLOR: Its a great question, I would say its a bit nuanced, because that was just respect with respect to the plastic bags. Animals can become entangled in the bags and drown or mistake the bags for food which can clog their intestines and cause them to starve. Washington, DCs government estimates that its 5-cent bag tax has led to a 60 percent reduction in the number of these bags being used, although that figure is contested by other sources. ETHAN: So where do we go from here? California and Hawaii already have . Quick Navigation for Reasons Why Plastic Shopping Bags Should Be Banned REASONS 1. Not So Fast by Ben Adler The author of the piece Ben Adler agrees that plastic bags have an adverse impact on the environment. Now a hybrid ban, where you ban a particular thin plastic or film plastic, as long as theres also consideration for the other types of bags such as paper bags, and reusable bags, and requiring stores to charge for those other bags. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. The Search for Long Covid Treatments Takes a Promising Turn. 1. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Or do state governments get to say, when local governments do implement the policies, theres a concern that it causes a patchwork of policies that might harm businesses, confused customers. A Canadian Gas Field Is Polluting First Nation Communities, How Climate Change, Poverty, and Social Stigma Affect Menstrual Hygiene. And so in terms of ranking those, that would be my order, taxes, hybrid bands, and then least preferred standalone bands. Others, like in New York City, treat all single-use bags equally. Studies of bags environmental impacts over their life cycle have reached widely varying conclusions. So if its, if it makes it into the environment, it stays there, it breaks into smaller pieces, it gets blown around the world, many different ecosystems. So have at least 88 localities in California, including the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, plus cities and towns in more than a dozen other states and more than a dozen other countries. But that understanding of each bags impact is not taken into account when we make a sweeping plastic bag ban. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World Right CLIP: Its been more than five years since single-use plastic bags like these were banned from grocery stores, a ban advocates say made strides for the environment. How many plastic bags are replaced by one cotton tote bag? Shortly after, the Massachusetts State Senate passed a measure that would ban plastic bags from being dispensed by many retail businesses and require a charge of 10 cents or more for a. Last month, the New York City Council passed a 5-cent-per-bag fee on single-use bags handed out by most retailers. There was a 72 percent drop in grocery bag litter in the state just one year after it was fully implemented. And so I was interested in understanding to what degree does a patchwork of policies actually lead customers to switch where theyre shopping. One reason plastic bags should be banned is that they hurt the environment. There are eight states that ban single-use plastic bags, and these are Oregon, Vermont, California, Hawaii, Delaware, New York, Maine, and Connecticut. Not only are there these human health concerns, but crackers and other petrochemical facilities are not located very fairly. And when I no longer had access to those carry out bags, it meant I didnt have this quote unquote, free source of garbage bags anymore. Then, that ethylene can be sent to a new plant where theyll add a catalyst which initiates a chemical reaction and forms our high-density polyethylene. In 2018 though, 68.1 percent of paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling, which is a really impressive number, although its worth noting that paper fibers become weaker each time theyre recycled, so there are still limitations to that. I mean, look at all the kids roaming the streets looking for water after eating a single Saltine. And beyond that, ethylene itself is a dangerous pollutant. Nearly one year after New York became the second state in the nation to pass a ban on grocery store plastic bags the law is going into effect on Sunday. I know it sounds silly, but it would make a difference. Known as one of the greenest commercial buildings in the world, since it opened its doors on Earth Day in 2013 the Bullitt Center has been setting a new standard for sustainable design. Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags annually, which is equivalent to 14 million trees. Often they need to be reused at least 100, if not more times, to be more environmentally friendly than those thin plastic bags that were so familiar with. How many plastic bags are replaced by one cotton tote bag? Its been more than five years since single-use plastic bags like these were banned from grocery stores, a ban advocates say made strides for the environment. 2- From a retailer's perspective, the thin plastic bags are the most economical of all. And so my recommendation is to use as few bags as you can reuse the ones that you do purchase and purchase your bags, make it an active decision. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Scientists are working on that, and according to a 2021 thesis study from LUT University in Finland, if that process were powered by clean energy, plastic bags made from carbon dioxide could actually be carbon negative. You can order the T-shirt plastic bags in wholesale from Bags . The ideal city bag policy would probably involve charging for paper and plastic single-use bags, as New York City has decided to do, while giving out reusable recycled-plastic bags to those who need them, especially to low-income communities and seniors. In fact, the only place they havent been is Dave and Busters. Listen Up America: You Need to Learn How to Recycle. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. How do we make polyethylene? Microplastics can be ingested by anyone from seabirds to fish to even humans through our food and water, and can cause health issues, reduce appetites, and even increase the risk of mortality. Come on, why have we not tried this yet? The one perk with bans is that its by far the easiest policy to explain and enforce. In fact, eight states have gone so far as to ban single-use plastic bags, and over 200 counties and municipalities have enacted ordinances either imposing a fee on plastic bags or banning them. So if you have a policy in your own city, but the next city over doesnt, and you decide to shop in then next city over to avoid the policy. But advocates of these laws and journalists who cover the issue often neglect to ask what will replace plastic bags and what the environmental impact of that replacement will be. A pound of cotton requires more than 5,000 gallons of water on average, a thirst far greater than that of any vegetable and even most meats. Now theres a breakthrough. What's in the Bag? The Problem with Single Use Plastics Not So Fast" by Ben Adler and the essay "Choking The Oceans With Plastic" by Charles J. Moore they both pose a connection and an area of disagreement. In the last couple weeks, I believe around five of our team members got sick, so weve been struggling a little bit! Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. So thats exactly what I did. NADJA: Where did you get your hands on a peer-reviewed study? 2. And what I found was the policies were very successful in reducing the amount of plastic carry out bags people used at supermarkets, it goes to zero as you would expect with a ban. You get merch, bonus content, and more. Australia has had a plastic bag ban since 2018. ITS PAPER. Its like trying to send paper through a really old copier. Take two minutes, help out the show, and get a shoutout at the end of the show by leaving a five star rating and a review on Apple or Podcast Addict OR join our Patreon at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. And in pretty much any case, people shift to an alternative type of grocery bag, and while plastic is unique in that it does not decompose, other types of bags have issues of their own. The instinct to favor reusable bags springs from an understandable urge to reduce our chronic overconsumption, but the bags we use are not the big problem. Its right up there with Taylor Swifts jet, Beyond Burgers, and figuring out which soup is best for throwing at artwork. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. ETHAN: When something causes as many issues as plastic bags, it may seem tempting to ban it. However, when you just have a ban, and you dont consider the substitutes, thats when we see the largest unintended consequences. ETHAN: Seven of those 16 projects were related to ethylene or polyethylene, including the five highest polluters of the group. For example, I talked in our plastic straws episode about something called default choice modification. Already in Massachusetts, 32 towns and cities have passed bag bans or fees. How bad was Tucker Carlson for the planet. Try Christmas now! And so because of that bands have been more popular. [string music, inspired by What We Do In The Shadows]. Ironic.plastic is still better than cloth, but it just has to be more than single-use. As compared to plastic bags, paper bags also require significantly more energy and water to manufacture, and more energy to transport since theyre heavier. YouTube, Follow us on Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? ETHAN: Welcome to episode 106 of The Sweaty Penguin: Antarcticas Hottest Podcast. A lot of the waste ends up in our communities, says Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE, an environmental and social justice-oriented community organization in Brooklyn. ETHAN: And the list of policy approaches goes on and on. Grist is the only award-winning newsroom focused on exploring equitable solutions to climate change. So have at least 88 localities in California, including the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, plus cities and towns in more than a dozen other states and more than a dozen other countries. On the disposal side, single-use plastic bags are currently not recyclable, but thats because the bags are so flimsy they can get caught in the machinery. You can learn more at pbs.org/perilandpromise. Follow us on In all seriousness, theres drawbacks here too. But studies conducted in Australia or Europe have limited applicability in the US, particularly when youre considering climate impact, because every country has a different energy mix. The shift from one single-use bag to another single-use bag may improve one environmental outcome, but be offset by another environmental impact.. Businesses may be reluctant to engage in default choice modification because customers might not realize the law and think theyre just getting bad service. Yes, this was a paper that was interested in how sometimes we dont always think about how people respond to policies, theyre sort of the obvious response. Rather than automatically using a bag, just ask the customer for. And those seven ethylene projects are concentrated in just three counties in Texas: Harris County, Jefferson County, and Brazoria County. [booo] Oil and natural gas are also made of carbon and hydrogen, so in addition to using them for energy, we process them into plastic. Winters are becoming less and less predictable due to climate change, but you dont have to worry because the second you put on a long sleeve shirt and jeans, youll be hearing Mariah Carey blast on every radio in town. [wrong buzz] Aw, dammit, I was so close! There was a 72 percent drop in grocery bag litter in the state just one year after it was fully implemented. I know youve done some comparisons on different strategies and looked at this more holistically. Anyway, at a cracker plant, they use extreme heat to crack the molecular bonds in the oil or gas to produce a new gas called ethylene. Was Implementation the Right Theme for COP27? So if its not effective, and its expensive, its not a recommended policy tool. ETHAN: And that wraps up episode 106 of The Sweaty Penguin. The instinct to favor reusable bags springs from an understandable urge to reduce our chronic overconsumption, but the bags we use are not the big problem. ETHAN: Obviously, bags are the only policy option like we talked about theres fees theres more voluntary approaches You know, with straws, something that intrigued me was default choice modification. Christmas: no, were not going to stop. The reasons for papers higher carbon footprint are complex, but can mostly be understood as stemming from the fact that paper bags are much thicker than plastic bags. (The crunchy rich should already have more than enough tote bags from PBS and Whole Foods.). Phytoplankton: How Too Much of a Good Thing Causes Problems. Not So Fast" by Ben Adler focuses on the states attempting to end giving out plastic bags for free hoping to reduce plastic waste. We talked about a whole list of issues in our first segment, and those dont vanish. For example, because paper bags take up so much more space, more trucks are needed to ship paper bags to a store than to ship plastic bags. Theres the impact of material, if it makes it into the environment as litter, theres the impact of the production of it on emissions and climate. Very broadly, carbon footprints are proportional to mass of an object, says Tyler. Produce sellers in this busy agricultural hub 95 miles. Plastic Bags Take Up To 1,000 Years to Decompose. But not just anywhere. A pound of cotton requires more than 5,000 gallons of water on average, a thirst far greater than that of any vegetable and even most meats. Not So Fast' by Ben Adler & 'Choking the oceans with plastic' by Charles J. Moore. Banning plastic bags is great for the world, right? - Classytutors I hope at least one of those cracked you up. But for UPROSE, that concern is outweighed by the negative impacts of plastic bags on disadvantaged communities. The Australian study concluded that the best option appears to be a reusable bag, but one made from recycled plastic. TAYLOR: Yes. The ideal city bag policy would probably involve charging for paper and plastic single-use bags, as New York City has decided to do, while giving out reusable recycled-plastic bags to those who need them, especially to low-income communities and seniors. Already in Massachusetts, 32 towns and cities have passed bag bans or fees. We use [drumroll] oil and gas! In Staten Island, perhaps? Cracker? Plastic bags not only destroy the physical infrastructure, she says, referring to the way they clog up storm drains and other systems, they contribute to emissions. And she points out that marine plastic pollution is a threat to low-income people who fish for their dinner: So many frontline communities depend on food coming from the ocean. Thats why her group supported New York Citys bag fee even though its more of a burden on lower-income citizens. Here's How. They are not the largest sources of plastic pollution Plastic waste is indeed a. Proposition 67, also known as SB270, officially passed in November 2016, prohibits plastic bags . Some bills, like in Massachusetts, try to reduce the use of paper bags as well as plastic, but still favor paper. First off, this sort of tax does hit low income communities the hardest, since they spend a larger percentage of their monthly income on food. Scientists are getting closer to understanding the neurology behind the memory problems and cognitive fuzziness that an infection can trigger. The Australian study concluded that the best option appears to be a reusable bag, but one made from recycled plastic, not cotton. The big difference is that paper does biodegrade eventually. After the break, well discuss where bag bans have shown shortcomings, the pros and cons of other types of grocery bags, and some other solution ideas that havent gained the same level of popularity as Dijon-crusted plastic. Even studies conducted with the purest of intentions depend on any number of assumptions. ETHAN: Specifically, well be talking about grocery bags. One of the most comprehensive research papers on the environmental impact of bags, published in 2007 by an Australian state government agency, found that paper bags have a higher carbon footprint than plastic. The larger takeaway is that no bag is free of environmental impact, whether thats contributing to climate change, ocean pollution, water scarcity, or pesticide use. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Thats right, I said it. ETHAN: Beyond climate though, crackers cause a lot of issues for surrounding communities. Cracker plants release air pollutants such as benzene which is linked to cancer and childhood leukemia, toluene which is linked to birth defects and brain, liver, and kidney problems, formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen, and particulate matter which is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and lung and bladder cancer. And paper bags, when you compare them to plastic bags, they are environmentally more environmentally friendly in some ways, but in other ways, theyre less environmentally friendly. That said, it doesnt have to hit these communities hard if they have access to reusable bags. All three counties are majority minority, the first two are over a third low income, and according to data from Texas Rising, if you rank all 254 counties in Texas for the overall environmental and social burdens they face, these three counties come in at #3, #8, and #53. TAYLOR: When I put my economist hat, the sort of first tool that I really think that policymakers should consider is a small fee, or a tax on all the different types of carry out bags. I asked Dr. Taylor how we can account for the cost of alternatives when we create policies to address plastic bags. And so its the sort of carrots versus sticks story, the sticks of the taxes seem to be much more effective than the carrots of the bonuses. Our world faces increasingly severe hurricanes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and more, but grocery bags have somehow become one of the hottest environmental topics. "Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? Thats right, its always the one you most suspect. In fact, every region of the US has a different energy mix. The adverse impacts of plastic bags are undeniable: When theyre not piling up in landfills, theyre blocking storm drains, littering streets, getting stuck in trees, and contaminating oceans, where fish, seabirds, and other marine animals eat them or get tangled up in them. The Permian Basin Hosts the Highest Emitting Oil and Gas Project in North America. How do you tackle microplastics? In the case of using a tax, the government is also then able to raise some money, which can be used to either lower taxes elsewhere or go toward environmental cleanup efforts or most importantly, turning Niagara Falls into a waterslide. In addition to being my celebrity couple name with a girl named Polly, polyethylene is a string of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Instagram, Follow us on Bag bans seem to be all the rage, but its not the only option. It honestly sounds like a superhero, doesnt it? I guess the name does make sense. ETHAN: Does this mean bag bans are bad or bag alternatives are bad? ETHAN: I think this paper that you did goes to a larger conversation about plastic because we do often zero in on specific products, will complain about straws or about bags or about bottles. Twitter, Follow us on You would think five cents to reuse a bag would have a state similar behavioral response is five cents to not use a bag to have to pay for than plastic bag. TAYLOR: Thanks. A lot of the waste ends up in our communities, says Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE, an environmental and social justice-oriented community organization in Brooklyn. Plastic bag bans havent fixed the entire problem where theyve been implemented. According to the Ocean Conservancys 2020 Coastal Cleanup Report, plastic grocery bags ranked number 6 for trash in the ocean. So that means fewer animals getting entangled over time which is good, but unfortunately, it also means plastic bags take a lot less time to become microplastics. So were still figuring it out right now, but weve got a great episode for you today. And these different dimensions? Its the same you know, it gets rolled into the price of your groceries the same way that youre paying for the cashiers, and the store workers and the age back and all of that you are paying for your plastic bags, but you dont see that what we call marginal cost per plastic bag. It argues that while banning plastic bags may be good for the environment, it is not as simple as it seems. On one hand, we are reducing the amount of litter. To help combat this waste, several American states have enacted bans on plastic grocery bags. So paper and plastic as litter paper, you know, decomposes, it breaks down, its not as harmful to the environment, if it if its litter. So is there anything you would suggest to policymakers as they tried to address the issue? Two weeks ago, the Massachusetts State Senate passed a measure that would ban plastic bags from being dispensed by many retail businesses and require a charge of 10 cents or more for a. Also, this question is something like asking, Would you prefer to get a parking ticket or a tax assessment? It depends on the specifics, but its better to avoid both wherever possible. Goldstein is confident that if people switch to reusable bags, even cotton ones, and use them consistently, that will ultimately be better for the environment. The larger takeaway is that no bag is free of environmental impact, whether thats contributing to climate change, ocean pollution, water scarcity, or pesticide use. Last month, the New York City Council passed a 5-cent-per-bag fee on single-use bags handed out by most retailers. out of class essay 1 - OUT OF CLASS ESSAY Banning plastic bags is great Its vital reporting made entirely possible by loyal readers like you. I guess the name does make sense. Instagram, Follow us on The Massachusetts proposal may not become law this year, but its the latest sign that the plastic bag industry is losing this war. The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. [knock on door, door creaks open, then Laszlo starts coughing uncontrollably]. If your chief concern is climate change, things get even muddier. Not only are there these human health concerns, but crackers and other petrochemical facilities are not located very fairly. Now, a new law hopes to take things a step further by banning these: single-use plastic pre-checkout bags that are not recyclable and can contaminate compost facilities. Talk about consistency! Back to those three Rs we learned when we were in elementary school, the reduce the Reuse and Recycle. ETHAN: The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. If someone wants a straw, they can ask and get it, no questions asked. Spoiler alert: plastics parents got divorced at age eleven and it still isnt over it. There are so very many variables. Whats more? [wild west sting] Once ethylene is turned into plastic, its not harmful, youre not going to get a disease just by touching a plastic bag, unless its March 2020 when every cashier in America was convinced thats how Covid spreads. ETHAN: Like, come on, we dont need more toxic chemicals in one spot! Whether its paper, whether its plastic, can we reuse it, you know, extend its life? But in terms of plastic, you are correct. Its not easy being a green consumer, in part because there are these different dimensions of environmental impact. Im your host, Ethan Brown. Washington, D.C.s government estimates that its 5-cent bag tax has led to a 60 percent reduction in the number of these bags being used, although that figure is contested by other sources. People look at [paper] and say its degradable, therefore its much better for the environment, but its not in terms of climate change impact, says David Tyler, a professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon who has examined the research on the environmental impact of bag use. Definitely not the intention. In 2018 though, 68.1 percent of paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling, which is a really impressive number, although its worth noting that paper fibers become weaker each time theyre recycled, so there are still limitations to that. How Are Muskoxen Faring in a Changing Climate? And to be fair, it is an issue. And so I think, and subsidies can be quite expensive for governments to run or source to run. Microsoft quietly supported legislation to make it easier to fix devices. ETHAN: That new ban was signed into law on September 30, and the fact that it was in the news goes to show that even with all the other things going on in the world, people are paying attention to this issue. Obviously, a cotton tote does have a much longer life than a plastic or paper bag, but we also have to be honest with ourselves.

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