December 1, 2015
Plastic bags—we love them and we hate them. During the holidays we certainly use a plethora of plastic bags. They are durable, come in a diverse range of sizes, can typically hold a significant weight, and of course are provided to us by pretty much every retailer. And, let’s face it, when we are caught up in holiday activities, who remembers to bring their reusable bags?!
Yes, the plastic bag by virtue of its lightweight attributes and its parachute-like aerodynamics is a common litter component, is unsightly when it winds up on roadsides, in trees, etc., and unfortunately can be deadly to wildlife when entangled or ingested. But should it be banned?
Landfill bans are certainly one way to promote recycling. But since plastic bag bans typically ban retail distribution it doesn’t promote bag recycling. Single use, lightweight plastic bags are usually made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic and are recyclable, where collection is provided. However, as Ted Siegler notes in his NERC Blog “More Flexible Packaging Insights,” written last year, post-consumer packaging films and retail bags have only about a 1.5 percent recycling rate in this country.
GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition is looking at ways to make plastic bag recycling more visible and accessible to consumers. And, as noted in a blog I wrote about Plastic Codes and Recycling, in terms of labeling, the Coalition’s How2Recycle label program seems to be a step in the right direction, along with its efforts to work with retailers to provide more in-store film recycling drop-off programs.
Over in Europe the trend seems to be levying a tax on the plastic bag, an idea which undoubtedly will never go over well in much of the US. According to Wikipedia, in 2003, Denmark enacted a tax on retailers who give out plastic bags, with the goal to encourage stores to charge for plastic bags and promote use of reusable bags. As of 2014, Denmark had the lowest plastic bag use in Europe (4 bags per person a year). Similarly, Germany also levies a recycling tax on stores providing plastic bags. Ireland levies a tax on consumers at the point of sale, which reportedly resulted in 90% of consumers switching to reusable bags the first year after the tax was adopted. The revenue from the tax goes into an Environment Fund.
Wales has a charge on almost all single use bags, including plastic, paper, and biodegradable plastic bags. Scotland also has a charge on single-use plastic and biodegradable plastic bags. England enacted a charge for single use plastic bags in October of this year. It only applies to retailers with more than 250 employees and does not apply to paper bags or bags made from other natural materials. Only one country, Italy, has banned the distribution of lightweight plastic bags that are not from biodegradable sources; France is banning single-use plastic bags as of January 2016.
A recent article in American Recycler, “The Growth of Plastic Bag Laws proves to Be Confounding,” raises some good points addressing the downside of plastic bag bans. According to the article 150 to 200 municipalities now have laws regulating plastic single-use shopping bags, including bans adopted by Los Angeles and San Francisco. Several counties, including Montgomery County, Maryland and some municipalities, namely, Boulder, Colorado, and Portland, Maine actually do levy a fee on plastic bag distribution.
Admittedly, as the American Recycler article points out, the differing laws are probably burdensome on bag manufacturers and retailers. And, why just the plastic bag…why not single use paper bags as well?
What’s the effectiveness of a $.05 fee charged on a plastic bag? Some people will switch to a reusable bag, but given the convenience which plastic bags afford consumers, the small fee’s effectiveness at reducing plastic bag usage seems questionable. And, if the money collected doesn’t go toward promoting plastic bag recycling what’s the ultimate benefit?
For the moment I’d advocate for increased awareness on the consequences of littering, an issue which certainly goes beyond the bag and harkens to the greater need for taking increased responsibility for our actions. It would also seem prudent for bag manufacturers, retailers, and we materials management professionals to promote increased recycling of plastic bags and work toward greater accessibility of bag recycling opportunities.
By Athena Lee Bradley
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