Pity the much-maligned plastic bag.
Plastic bags are being banned or taxed in cities and counties across America–just this week in Seattle, before that in San Francisco, Portland and Washington, D.C. Beginning in January, Montgomery County, MD, where I live, will impose a five-cent charge for carryout bags at all retail stores. Like most of my neighbors (median household income in the county tops $92,000) I can afford the extra nickel.
But I’m not persuaded that plastic bag bans or taxes makes sense. Here’s why.
They’re not based on science. Independent studies show that plastic bags are environmentally preferable to paper. Other suggest that, when they are reused, they are preferable to the reusable plastic or cloth sacks that many of us tote around.
Some of the arguments put forth for the bans don’t hold up. That plastic waste waste in the oceans you’ve probably read about? No, it’s not the size of Texas. Nor is it made of plastic bags.
Getting rid carryout bags won’t lead to a long-term solution to the problem of plastic waste. Maybe instead of banning or taxing bags, we should be recycling them. That’s the argument being put forth by a company called Hilex Poly, which will recycle tens of millions of pounds of plastic bags, sacks and wraps this year, and would like to do more.
You may disagree but after digging into this subject for a while, I’m certain about only one thing: It’s complicated.
The arguments for plastic bag bans or taxes are, by now, familiar. The Montgomery County carryout bag law “is designed to improve our environment by cutting down plastic bags—a significant source of litter—which pollute our streets, streams, and playgrounds, and harm property values.” Econ 101 tells you that charging 5 cents for plastic bags creates an incentive for people to use fewer of them, and carry reusable bags instead. Proceeds go to “programs that fight litter and provide stormwater pollution control.”
Bill Hickman, who leads the Rise Above Plastics campaign at the Surfrider Foundation, an advocacy group, told me by phone: “We’re trying to stop the plastic impact on the marine environment. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade in our lifetime…Anything, single use, at the end of the day has negative effects on our environment.”
All true, but…
Studies say that plastic bags have a lighter environmental footprint than paper, and in some cases are preferable to reusable bags. A thorough life cycle analysis done in the UK by the government’s environment agency in 2006 (download PDF here) found that HDPE (high-density polyethylene, the typical lightweight plastic bags) are superior to paper because they require less energy and far less water to make and take up less space in landfill. Comparing them to reusable non woven polypropylene (PP) bags–the typical reusable bag, made in China, and sold by grocers–the study found that their impacts depend upon the number of times that plastic bags are reused. Data on this is scarce and controversial–critics of plastic say the bags are typically used just once, but the industry says they are frequently used, often as garbage bags, or to carry kids’ lunches to school, or pick up dog poop. (Banning plastic carryout bags means that people may have to buy bags for those purposes.) Focusing on the climate issue, the 120-page-long UK study says:
The paper, LDPE, non-woven PP and cotton bags should be reused at least 3, 4, 11 and 131 times respectively to ensure that they have lower global warming potential than conventional HDPE carrier bags that are not reused.
If I understand that correctly, it means that one reusable bag has the carbon footprint of 13 disposable bags that are used just once. If you use the disposable bag twice, you’ll need to deploy the reusable bag 26 times before you are ahead in terms of global warming. By the way, this doesn’t include the impact of washing the reusable bag in hot water, which is highly recommended because bacteria like E. coli and fecal coliform can thrive in reusable bags, according to this study, which, it must be said, was financed by the plastics industry.
A study from the University of California, Chico, funded by Keep California Beautiful, (PDF, download) analyzed the UK studies, as well as research from Scotland, Australia and a U.S. consulting firm and found that “reusable plastic bags can have lower environmental impacts than single-use polyethylene plastic grocery bags.” But it also found traces of cadmium and lead in the reusable bags. The professor who did the study has consulted for both plastic bag and reusable bag makers. Like I said, it’s complicated.
Next Page: Exactly how bad is the plastic pollution in the ocean?
Very well written article
Very well written article Mark. Banning carryout bags is clearly not a solution... People need a convenient way to carry their groceries. As you pointed out, Reusables are not that solution: We've seen studies that state that reusable bags must be used 200 times to have less of an environmental impact than plastic bags, yet most are only used less than 5 times each. Futhermore, as you note, there is a potential health problem lurking in the bacteria that builds up in these bags as they are reused over and over to carry food. Recycling of plastic bags can avoid the litter problem. We have also developed a new technology, called ECOgrade bags, that we believe is the best option yet. ECOgrade photodegradable bags look like, and have the functionality of plastic bags. Yet they use 46% less plastic resin, produce 34% less Greenhouse gas in pre-production, use less energy in manufacturing than regular plastic bags. are approved for recycling with other plastics, and if littered or lost, these bags degrade after 240 days of exposure to sunlight, which eliminates the "plastic sea" concern. We are gaining tremendous interest with ECOgrade bags. (www.ECOgradebag.com). We hope the towns that are considering banning bags will consider this option, before passing poorly conceived bag ban legislation.
To Marc G.: HOW DARE YOU make
To Marc G.:
HOW DARE YOU make any attempt at intelligent debate WITH THE KNOW IT ALL WORSHIPERS OF KING OMBAMA?
Don't you know by now that even QUESTIONING the indisputable dogma of the "RELIGION OF GREEN" will get you labeled a FASCIST, RACIST, GOOD FOR NOTHING BIBLE TOTIN', TOBACCO CHEWIN', MOONSHINE SWILLIN' REDNECK or even a REPUBLICAN(a pejorative in Rachel Maddow's lexicon) !
Their tolerance for discourse knows no bounds.
I have gone through this many times with Graham Hill over at Treehugger.
Good luck !
It may seem complicated,
It may seem complicated, Marc, but perhaps it doesn't have to be -- if we ask the right questions. "Paper or plastic?" (or "this plastic or that plastic?") aren't the right questions. Nor is "Should we tax or ban all plastics because some end up as litter?"
No, I don't want to "impose my beliefs on others," but I do want everyone to bear the full costs of their decisions and actions. This challenge of getting the prices right is, I think, at the heart of most of our environmental problems.*
Probably the best way to address the plastic bag problem is extended producer responsibility (EPR) -- have the entities that produce what becomes "waste" be responsible for the costs of dealing with that waste -- rather than imposing those costs on ecosystems and other people. It's worked in many EU countries, as well as Canada and Japan. Natural Logic's white paper, Product Stewardship & Extended Producer Responsibility: Towards a Comprehensive Packaging Recycling Strategy for the US, lays out analysis and strategy for establishing EPR in the US. (The work was commissioned by Coca-Cola, and contributed to by a diverse group of stakeholder; the opinions is presents are Natural Logic's alone.)
[This comment also posted at http://blogs.natlogic.com/friend]
* This is a topic which I've been thinking and writing about for a while. See, for example:
Memewatch: Getting the prices right
Get This: Overcoming the Key Barriers to Building a Sustainable Economy
CFOs, Sustainable finance, & Getting the Prices Right
The True Cost Economy: Ecologizing Capitalism
(and my book-in-progress, "Getting the Prices Right," in 2012)
You are right about one part,
You are right about one part, it is complicated.
Hi, my name is Manuel, I am the founder of Project GreenBag. There is no reason to 'defend' the plastic bag when it causes so much distress to our environment, ocean, and tax payers wallets.
Your defense #1 "They’re not based on science".
My reply: Plastic bags are made from fossil fuels. They pollute our cities (I'm sure you've seen them in your own). They are recycled at a rate of 11% at most (that comes from Hilex poly themselves). It doesn't take science to know those are harmful facts.
Defense #2 "Some of the arguments put forth for the bans don’t hold up"
Reply: There is no way to measure the size of the pacific garbage patch. Plastic breaks up in to tiny pieces which end up in a huge ocean. 5Gyres.org has documented their expeditions and discovered plastic pieces in every sample.
Defense #3 "Plastic bags have a lighter environmental footprint than paper, and in some cases are preferable to reusable bags"
Reply: Both are terrible. That is why we should not choose either one. At one point we only had paper as an option. We discovered that was bad. We should not revert. Organic reusable bags like Project GreenBags, can be used for generations. Once you are done with them, they can biodegrade because they are made from a natural fiber.
Defense #4 "Plastic pollution of the oceans probably isn’t as bad as you think."
Reply: Plastic pollution has been found in all beaches and just recently discovered in the Arctic ocean as well. "Not as bad as you think"? I hate to find out what your idea of "bad" really is.
Defense #5 "Why not recycle?"
Reply: We have tried to recycle. With rates at 11% (at most) it's safe to say recycling has failed. We will never reach 100% so even 1% of plastic pollution is terrible. Time to try a new approach.
Summary
Project GreenBag is making organic cotton reusable bags. Zero lead. They are American made in California which means we are creating green jobs + helping to solve an environmental problem!!
Visit us at http://ProjectGreenBag.com
Thank you
Mr Gunther... I must first
Mr Gunther... I must first agree with ALL of the above comments and concerns. I am very concerned with our egregious single-use society and our apparent lack of concern for the environment especially when it comes to convenience (dog poop bags?). I am concerned that you would author an article like this. I have met you in person and have read several of your previous articles. I was a fan until I read this article. I have to ask, as I believe many others have asked as well, were you paid by Hilex Poly? Yes, you have done some research I see, have interviewed both sides (Surfrider, scientists, professors) but I believe you may have taken some comments out of context to support your "supporters". I also found it amusing that at the end of the article, as if to win back some fans on the GreenBiz website, you added that you carry your own reusable bags, drive a hybrid and your focus is on sustainability.... hmmm! Thanks for keeping us all on our toes and ruffling our passion filled feathers...
this is funny -- reminds me
this is funny -- reminds me of the great writer, stephenson billings, of the leading investigative website christwire.com
"studies show...i am not persuaded...but what about the other trash..."
har har -- but assuming that this was -not- a parody, or a cynically well-timed means of pumping page views, then please consider the majority of otherwise thoughtful and sincere comments from the folks above. as far as your need for suasion, well, too bad, you (and you're overly circumspect ilk) are clearly out-voted, if you want to play, then pay the advanced disposal fee, mitigation fee, use tax, or whatever you want to call it...
I devoted an entire chapter
I devoted an entire chapter in my book Plastic: A Toxic Love Story to the debate over plastic bags. You are right that there are many complexities to this issue -- the environmental case against plastic bags is not a slam dunk when compared to paper or even some of the reusable bags. And yet I ended up believing strongly that it's time to kiss the free plastic bag good-bye. My main reason: they are an icon of the throwaway mindset that plastic has facilitated. It's not that the bags alone are such an environmental blight. The blight the comes from the vast flood of single-use plastic trash -- the straws, the caps, the bottles, the lids, the cups, the forks and spoons and knives and lighters other pre-fab litter -- that is found in the garbage patch, on remote beaches, in the stomachs of marine wildlife and so on. About half of all plastic produced goes into single-use products and that's where the problem lies. Our reliance in single-use items creates pollution, wastes resources and exemplifies the kind of short-sighted thinking that's behind many of our most pressing environmental troubles. The bag is a symbol of the single-use habit. But it's one single-use habit that is easy to break. If people can be persuaded to give up plastic bags -- and yes, paper ones as well --my hope is they'll find it easier to give up some of the other single-use conveniences to which we have become all too accustomed.
It's not complex. It's
It's not complex. It's simple. Something that's made to be used once, for 20 minutes to get groceries from the store to the home, and is then disposed of (or even recycled) is not a good use of materials and energy. There has to be a better way. End of story.
I'd like to take time to
I'd like to take time to respond in more detail to some of these comments, but I'm in the process of shutting down for the holidays and, happily, celebrating my daughter's just-announced engagement.
Having said that, I would direct people to read the last paragraph of this article in which I say that I used reusable bags whenever I can. If anyone asks me, I'd advise them to do the same. Clearly "reuse" is preferable to "recycle."I'm not an advocate for plastic bags, or the plastics industry.
But...I'm still not persuaded that bans or taxes on plastic bags are a good idea.
Yes, of course, they contribute to some degree litter and to plastic waste in the ocean. But is that really a reason to ban or tax them? Should we also ban plastic bottles? The plastic that we use to wrap fruits or vegetables? The plastic that wraps the newspapers that arrive at my home every day? For that matter, why not tax Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts coffee cups? Or the plastic cups at McDonald's, Burger King and other fast food outlets? All of these are potentially litter. All could end up in landfills. All are wasteful and unnecessary. Some of you would probably favor bans on all of these products. Not me. As a matter of principle, I don't believe that the government should stand in the way of transactions between willing parties.
What's next, a ban on SUVs? I happen to believe that driving an SUV (unless it's full of people) is fundamental an anti-social act, but I'm not arrogant enough to want to impose my belief on others.
As for the amount of plastic waste in the ocean, there's disagreement among scientists about how much there is an what causes it. Here's a study from the Woods Hole oceanographic institution that indicates that plastic bags are a small fraction of marine waste.
http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/plastic.html#4
And, if plastic bags make up 10% of the plastic trash in the ocean, as one commenter suggests, what shall we do about the other 90%? Bottom line: I don't understand why plastic bags are being singled out. They're an easy target.
As for the argument that encouraging people to switch to reusable bags sends a good message to everyone about limiting waste, I agree. But it also sends a message to poor and working class people that environmentalism is going to cost them money. Not only will they be asked to pay five cents per bag; they'll also have to purchased plastic bags for their garbage, their dog poop, whatever.
My last, broader point is that plastic bag bans and taxes are another example of an ad hoc, piecemeal approach to environmental policy -- taxes on plastic bags, tax breaks for renewable energy, fuel economy standards for cars, ethanol mandates, government grants and loans for clean tech -- that is a terribly inefficient and crude way to drive sustainable behavior.
It would be SO much better to put a tax or cap on carbon pollution, which threatens our planet and our oceans more than anything else. Then consumers would have to pay the full cost of plastic bags, coal-fired electricity, SUVs, Chilean grapes and everything else we buy that requires the use of fossil fuels. That would make a whole lot more difference to the planet than a tax or ban on plastic bags.
I'd like to take a second to
I'd like to take a second to respond to this:
"But it also sends a message to poor and working class people that environmentalism is going to cost them money. Not only will they be asked to pay five cents per bag; they'll also have to purchased plastic bags for their garbage, their dog poop, whatever."
I, too, used to think that was a valuable argument. It's really something that is always brought up... the disadvantaged, the less-fortunate paying for bags when their money is already scarce. No one wants to put extra burden on an already financially stressed household. However, I think many people forget about stores like ALDI-- a discount store in 31 states-- where people have to bring their own bags, boxes or just take their groceries to their car in a cart because ALDI charges for bags. ALDI even charges 25 cents to use a grocery cart (of course, the quarter is returned when the cart is returned).
ALDI is a store that was doing it right before the "green" movement... and since it is a discount store, it is most often frequented by the poor and working class.
As far as picking up dog poop, there are plenty of other options.... there's a video out there somewhere with lots of helpful ideas. Chip bags, bread bags, produce bags, snack bags, etc... Sometimes the simplest solutions are right in front of us. It's about rethinking and reusing what we already have. Believe it or not, it's that simple.
P.S. Everything isn't perfect, but doing the right thing to change the world for the better has to start somewhere. If the start is banning plastic bags, then so be it.
I also am greatly offended by
I also am greatly offended by the lack of intelligent consideration topped off with the kind of disgusting and crude comments that are spewed from the plastic companies and american chemistry council that are presented in this article. Conversely I'm very impressed by the commentary provided by the readers who all seem utterly shocked that a blog which is supposedly focused on exploring and sharing more environmentally beneficial solutions than "business as usual" is sharing these concepts as if they are some sort of creative, original thought, and not merely a regurgitation of propaganda.
Smart consumers know that they must strive to refuse any sort of single use container, but if they must dispose of something there is no question that it should be a compostable or biodegradable thing. Paper bags which end up in landfills cannot take up space for long because they are readily digested by the resident microbial life. I'm eager to see any proof that any conventional plastic bag has ever been biodegraded. How long do the studies say it takes? 100 years? Conveniently no such bag has been around long enough to provide evidence of this. In another century we'll see which bags are continuing to take up space and create environmental hazards.
I'm remembering that a recent article of this blog claimed "green-ness" in reclaiming energy through burning plastic bags, commending the foul business and completely ignoring the toxic byproducts. I don't read these articles often, but believe that myself and others are paying close attention when you spit out this nonsense.
Did you read the same article
Did you read the same article as I did? I don't see anything spewed by the ACC or other plastics producers, only comments from readers doing the same as you, spewing factless arguments back at the writer and plastics processors and producers. The facts remain that; reusable bags get dirty, are generally made in Asia, meaning they are transported a long way to be used a few times but most likely, to remain in the trunk because most of us are focusing on other things on the way to the grocery, paper bags consumer a tremendous amount of water and in general consumer a lot of other chemicals to break down the fibers (recycled or virgin) for use in paper, and plasic bags, although made of petrochemicals, are very light weight, consumer very little material (petrochemicals) in their production and are fully recyclable. Anti consumptionism may be a worthy goal for a very small portion of the population, but it is not a realistic goal for our society. Bag bans are a politically expedient way for politicians to pony up to their liberal and environmental supporters, but do very little if any to clean up the environment, in fact, they generally do the opposite - see Ethanol, Compact Florescent Bulbs, McDonalds switch from recylcable Plastic containers to non-recylable wax covered paper, etc, etc, etc.
Let's make it an even easier
Let's make it an even easier decision - cloth bags are easier to carry than plastic bags and they don't clog up my closet and give me one more thing to recycle.
When I have cloth bags in my shopping cart, they are a constant reminder while I'm shopping to buy less, buy better, buy something that will recycle. Using cloth bags is a culture changing experience. Is that factored into the equation anywhere?
THE STONE AGE DIDN'T END
THE STONE AGE DIDN'T END BECAUSE WE RAN OUT OF STONES...
Hats off, Mark. You took on a black / white issue and (I believe) showed there might be a gray zone most of us don't want to see.
Then I read the comments.
I don't like dogma. I don't like hyperbole. And I think trash talking (pardon the pun) just makes us look like a bunch of Gingriches.
The point I'm meandering toward is this: we all believe plastic bags are bad. We all believe reusable bags are better. Yelling at each other makes us look like the Judean People's Front in Life of Brian.
The stone age didn't end because they ran out of stones. Where's the innovation that will make plastic bags look like the horse and buggy? Maybe it's reusable bags, maybe not. Maybe we should all just agree that the problem isn't plastic bags - the problem is our lack of innovation that makes these bags obsolete.
M
Kudos to the other readers
Kudos to the other readers who have criticized this article. Yes, it is the job of a journalist to address complicated and unpopular topics. However, Gunther's article lacks intellectual rigor and in favor of slapdash analysis.
Since others have successfully debunked many of Gunther's arguments, let's focus on the Pacific garbage patch section:
1. Statements such as "Plastic pollution of the oceans probably isn’t as bad as you think" to open the garbage patch argument and "Do you see a lot of plastic bags in the picture?" are unscientific and trite. They do not belong here.
2. Even if the garbage patch is not 2x Texas, say it's 1x Texas or even 0.5x Texas... does that change the fact that it's a huge problem that will only get worse if we do not change behavioral patterns? No.
3. Only one point is provided to indicate that HDPE plastic bags are NOT a large part of the garbage patch. And it contains no data. Instead, it develops into a borderline ad hominem attack on an anti-plastic-bag group. Gunther selects its picture of virtually indistinguishable plastic crap on a beach, and provokes "Do you see a lot of plastic bags in the picture?" Is this a joke? How does this pass for a reasonable argument?
4. Gunther chooses Oprah as the foil? Is this some kind of joke? Even if her statement is hyperbolic--which it may not be, given the plastic pollution that washes up on the coasts of Japan and the US--how is she a relevant expert?
This is a disappointing article, and does harm to the credibility of Gunther and GreenBiz.
Marc, you are normally the
Marc,
you are normally the top green writer on GreenBiz, but this article is questionable at best. I am getting so tired of the comparison of plastic vs. paper. That's not the choice we should be making. I am originally from Germany and we have used foldable plastic boxes, reusable bags (cotton) or cardboard boxes to go shopping since the 1980s. Stores started charging for plastic bags decades ago, and those bags you could buy were much better quality than the flimsy excuses of bags you get here. The plastic boxes can be cleaned, cloth bags thrown in the laundry. It worked and still does. Why is this so difficult to implement in the US? And how many plastic bags are really recycled? I think you did all of us a disservice with this article. I am looking forward to your next article, may it be truly great again.
Carbon footprint of
Carbon footprint of recycling: Shouldn't we be considering the tremendous carbon footprint associated with recycling as well? We should not feel 'good' about recycling our plastics; it really should be viewed as a 'last resort' in my opinion. Reusable bags are the answer and if we're committed to healing our planet we should try to not introduce any more plastic bags or paper bags into our households. It CAN be done. Many of us have come close to achieving a 'zero-waste' household (i.e., no waste to landfill) but we should also be focused on keeping our 'recyclable waste' down too - think about the transport and the remanufacturing process around recycling. "Refuse" is the best "R" of all.
Plastic bags are not a
Plastic bags are not a necessity. People can and should live without plastic bags. I toured a very large recycling facility, and they were very adamant that we the public do NOT put plastic bags in the recycling bins because they get caught in the teeth of the machinery, and screw it up. How are we to do this great recycling?
Plastic bags may not be a
Plastic bags may not be a necessity for you. But for dog owners, they are very important. I have two dogs that I walk 5-6 times per day. They refuse to go to the bathroom in my yard - where I would be happy to use the waste as fertilizer. But no matter where I walk them in my neighborhood in Montgomery County Maryland, I am required to pick up after them and I use plastic bags to do the job.
Perhaps plastic bags are my vice, but I help minimize my carbon footprint in other ways. I represent small renewable energy developers and help them bring small nascent technologies to market. I run a largely paperless law practice. I own a hybrid and live in a small house near public transportation and within walking distance to stores, etc...so that I could commute by metro and not drive all the time. Given that I am largely environmentally responsible most of the time, I do not see why I should not be able to use plastic bags - and in fact, I am going to have to buy them anyway because I still have to pick up dog waste. These bag-ban laws don't reduce the number of plastic bags used - they just shift the costs to people like me who need the bags regardless.
You recycle the plastic bags
You recycle the plastic bags by taking them to the Grocery Store on your next trip, or consolidate them into a plastic bag and wait until you have the bag filled (it may take you a while because they are so thin and light).
In the past 3 years I have
In the past 3 years I have picked up 3,581 plastic bags (yes, and recycled them) that are blowing around the environment in my local city. They tend to blow off the grocery store parking lot straight toward the river. I find them stuck temporarily in the fence rows, and today alone I counted 6 of them stuck high in the trees beside the river in what is supposed to be a greenway park. This pollution is ubiquitous and hideous. The creek bank in some areas consists of plastic bags filled with silt which have been trapped by water on debris in the current. I have no doubt that our ocean sediment from this timeframe (the sixth great extinction period in geologic time, first one to be caused by humans) will consist of a thin global layer of plastic that marks the end of human existence. A short-sighted existence exemplified by single-use plastic bags and throw-away single-use food containers. The extinction of the marine food web through poisoning and choking of marine life by small plastic particles and related chemicals will undoubtedly be part of this. Another part of it will be caused by anthropogenic global warming and ocean acidification that is killing our coral reefs. Another part of it will be caused by trawling overfishing and marine disposal of old fish net debris.
The choice to "bring your own bag" is simply too easy. Meanwhile I will continue picking up trash and litter, including the ubiquitous plastic bag.
Why not make plastic bags that biodegrade within 90 days? if that cannot be done then I say we go ahead and ban them. The fact is, most of these items have a VERY short consumer half life of about 24 hours or less of use. Then it is out of sight, out of mind, disposal and 100+ years (if we're lucky) in a landfill-- or if unlucky, pollution of our landscapes and waterways, and death of our ecosystem.
In defense of the massive
In defense of the massive amount of plastic floating on our oceans, there is nothing beneficial about plastic bags or plastic waste in general.
Independent studies may indicate that plastic bags are more environmentally preferable than paper, but is this study measuring paper bags made out of post-consumer recycled content?
As consumers we should ask ourselves “Do I really even need a bag (paper or plastic) for the item I am purchasing?” Chances are most consumers are using bags out of pure habit, without even thinking about its lifecycle.
Lastly, the plastic pollution is our oceans ARE as bad as WE think. Any amount of pollution, big or small, is impacts our planet and our responsibility as consumers to keep it clean and beautiful for future generations.
Very disappointed in this article.
Focusing on the LCA impacts
Focusing on the LCA impacts of paper vs. plastic vs. reusable bags misses the point. As many readers have noted, the issue is one of litter and consequent impacts on wildlife, natural places and quite simply the places we all live and work.
Also, there’s a lot to be said for demonstrating responsible and sustainable behavior. The more people using reusable bags, the more socially acceptable and “normal” it becomes. This type of behavior ultimately encourages more responsible decisions among others.
Focusing on the LCA impacts
Focusing on the LCA impacts of paper vs. plastic vs. reusable bags misses the point. As many readers have noted, the issue is one of litter and consequent impacts on wildlife, natural places and quite simply the places we all live and work.
Also, there’s a lot to be said for demonstrating responsible and sustainable behavior. The more people using reusable bags, the more socially acceptable and “normal” it becomes. This type of behavior ultimately encourages more responsible decisions among others.
I am not going to WASTE much
I am not going to WASTE much energy or words on this... Just this one question: ARE YOU FOR REAL??? I would strongly advice you to look into this subject more thoroughly before you go spreading around complete nonsense like this. Pfff.
Umm... seriously?? Did you
Umm... seriously?? Did you miss the fact that plastic bags are the 2nd most commonly found item during beach and waterway clean ups?? (It's true.)
Of more than ten million pieces of garbage picked up on ocean beaches in 2009 during International Coastal Cleanup Day... 1,126,774 were plastic bags.
Plastic bags are littered everywhere. It doesn't matter where I go, I see them. On the sides of roads, in trees, blowing across the street, at the beach, parks... you name the place... a plastic-bag has been there.
In the 109+ beach clean ups I've done, I have yet to find a reusable bag blowing across the sand. Never once have I had to pluck a reusable bag from the water. Nope, not one littered reusable bag. I haven't heard of a sea turtle mistaking a reusable bag for a jellyfish...
Maybe you missed this article about the death of a gray whale that had OVER 20 plastic bags in its stomach...
http://pugetsound.org/blog/gray-whale2019s-death-a-wakeup-call-about-pla...
Whether or not the amount of plastics in our oceans is an island the size of Texas or not, doesn't really matter. What matters is that it's there and it shouldn't be. The science is out there, it's just not funded by the ACC.
By the way... the paper vs. plastic argument is silly (and over-played, if you ask me). Paper and plastic bags are both single-use products so they are both inferior to a reusable bag. (FYI: I've had the same reusable/washable bags for the past 15+ years.) Bringing your own reusable/washable bag is the right thing to do... just like reusing/washing dishes, glasses, silverware, clothes...
... and recycling plastic bags is a joke. Don't even go there.
Tell them Danielle! Some
Tell them Danielle! Some people are too ignorant for words... Eef
What is this, an advertorial
What is this, an advertorial for the plastics industry??? I wouldn't be surprised, given the significant financial resources they have thrown behind campaigns to misinform the public on the effects of their products.
It's sad that some people might read this and feel reassured that they can simply recycle their bags and they've done their part to reduce waste - NO THEY HAVEN"T. Rather, they have contributed to the problem by accepting something designed for single use, when a non disposable substitute was readily available, inexpensive and just took a little foresight. When you use single disposable items (plastic or otherwise) you are contributing to the problem, don't kid yourself that we shouldn't feel bad about it. Yes we need to use our reusable bags more than once to recoup the environmental cost - what else did you think a 'reusable' bag is meant to do? Our focus should be on building quality products that endure beyond the typical 'disposables' lifecycle and then when no longer usable do not degrade the environment. The culture of disposability is the real culprit, so much so that to imaging that something would be used 131 times seems to be, in your opinion out of the question.
The fact that one of the points of this 'article' is to debate the size of the garbage patch - the mere fact of it's existence pretty much validates that we need to wake up and stop telling ourselves it's okay. Shame on you for encouraging our generation to ignore this.
From the article about E.
From the article about E. coli:
"Possible sources of contamination may include improperly wrapped meats, spilled liquids or perishable food items and using the bag for non-food-related purposes, such as trips to the gym or as a diaper bag.
Though results of the study may cause alarm, proper care of the bags and responsible use will likely eliminate the studies concerns. As is with anything reusable and washable, the bags should be washed and cared for between uses to decrease the likelihood of bacterial contamination."
I don't use a diaper bag for my groceries, so please don't tell me that I need to use plastic bags that suffocate animals and have countless other negative effects (just see the other comments).
You have a good point about people needing plastic bags anyway for trash and dog poop (not kids' lunches, though, and that's obvious). However, people shouldn't get free, unlimited bags for those purposes. It makes a lot more sense for people to have to buy them separately. That way, people wouldn't let them fly away into the environment.
I was particularly interested
I was particularly interested in Mark Gunther's regurgitation of the Hilex Poly's recent press release regarding EPA Polyethylene recycling rates for plastic bags sacks and wraps.
The EPA distinguishes the various types of polyethylenes used in bags sacs and wraps. HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) is used in the manufacture of most single-use grocery bags. LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) and LLDPE (Low Linear Density Polyethylene) is used for dry-cleaning garment bags, glossy department store bags and most frequently, stretch or shrink wrap -- the kind of plastic you see wrapped around shipping pallets and used in multi-roll toilet paper packages. Retailers and wholesalers use tons of this stretch wrap as goods are shipped around the country. It is clean, plentiful, and can be recycled easily, making is a valuable commodity.
So really what does the EPA say about the recycling rates for polyethylene this year? The EPA is reporting an increase in the LDPE and LLDPE recycling rates for 2010. From 2009 when the rate was 13.4% to 2010 when the rate climbed to 17.6%.
But here's the rub about the HDPE recycling rate (remember HDPE is used mostly for the single-use grocery bags). HDPE recyling is DOWN - almost 2% from 6.1% in 2009 to 4.3% in 2010.
It would appear that companies like Hilex Poly are in a win/win situation. They are making more money from recycling the LDPE/LLDPE plastics AND selling more plastic bags made from HDPE.
Meanwhile, those grocery bags continue to clog landfills where they photodegrade and leach chemicals into the land, or pollute our waterways where according to Mark Gunther, the problem is "not that bad."
How bad does it need to get?
Top 100 Records of the
Top 100 Records of the Decade: Plastic Bags the Most Ubiquitous Consumer Item. http://2010.guinnessworldrecords.com Measuring at roughly a trillion every year, each one takes a human lifetime to degrade, that is if they are in the right conditions that allows them to. In the ocean, plastic takes much longer to degrade because they end up on the ocean floor. Have you been in the ocean to find them there on the ocean floor? I have. Have you interviewed people who have witnessed animals like a fox disoriented and struggling for air because it had a plastic bag over its head? I have. Have you seen a raccoon dead on the side of the road with its snout inside a bag? I have. If you are going to truly research a subject, look further than what you want to find as the answer. BTW, Angel is a woman who found one sample in all the samples she did in the Pacific to NOT contain plastic. Not a good source to support your argument. The real issue is we use too much one-time use plastic and plastic bags weather it’s on the ocean floor or in a landfill is a waste of resources. Let’s save the petroleum and natural gas for much more needed items like medical supplies.
Recycling plastic bags pose a real problem for recycle plants. Yes, I’ve researched this as well and the problem is plastic bags foul-up the recycling machinery, wasting time and energy for the plants as well as pose a risk factor for employees who have to remove them from the machinery. Lastly, they cause death not only to children (disclaimer found on the bottom of the bags themselves) but potentially to all animals marine or otherwise.
Bonnie, I support your
Bonnie, I support your arguments all the way! Single use plastics are a real threat to our sea-life and wild-life...
Kudos to the above comments
Kudos to the above comments that cover many of the issues I found lacking in this article. I didn't see anything in the article that addressed blight, bags clogging sewer drains and recycling machinery. I'd also would like to question any "independent" studies that have looked at the life cycle of various types of bags. I've worked closely with numerous cities that have proposed or passed legislation on bags, and one of the resources we lacked were third-party studies on the impacts of various bags. The studies that exist have all been paid for by one industry group or another.
Also of note are the inflated recycling rates cited by Hiley Poly. By including sacks and wraps, Hilex Poly is able to include all kinds of materials such as pallet wrap and other packaging that never reaches the consumer. The truth is, consumers are not recycling their plastic bags. The national rate still hovers around 1%-- thus a 99% failure to recycle bags. As another reader mentioned, Hilex Poly sued a small reusable bag company. What Hilex neglected to say was that part of their settlement requires them to stop using these inflated numbers in their literature and on their website.
Plastic bags need no defense and it's particularly troubling that they found one on this website intended to share ideas of sustainability.
It's funny. I've never seen a
It's funny. I've never seen a reusable bag caught high up in a tree, or lodged in the belly of a turtle or albatross. I don't see shreds of them tear off and flit around parking lots. I've never had a reusable bag blow 50 feet into the sky in a gust of wind and then get whisked off to neverland. I've never stuffed a reusable bag into the sand at the beach and then walked off and forgotten it at the end of the day. I've never had a checkout clerk put one or two items in each of my reusable bags and then hand me back 12 bags for 15 items. No MRF has ever shut down its sorter because reusable-bag bits got jammed in its gears. I've never had to pay my city council extra tax to collect and clean up the spate of reusable bags littering roadsides. I've never seen a storm drain clogged & backed up by reusable bags. In 5,000 years of written history up to the 1970s there isn't a story, song, or poem lamenting the difficulty of bringing one's own reusable bag to market. And I've never had to pay someone to cart off all of my reusable bags, store them in a warehouse somewhere, and call it "recycling."
The single-use plastic bag is so yesterday. Enough.
I find it interesting that
I find it interesting that Mark Gunther is regurgitating Hilex Poly's press release regarding the increase in recycling rates of polyethylene bags, sacks and wraps, as reported by EPA.
The truth about recycling rates is this: The EPA separates the types of polyethylene plastic in its reporting of rates for bags, sacks and wraps: HDPE - the type of plastic that is used in the manufacture of single-use grocery bags, such as the type Hilex Poly makes. The other category is LDPE/LLDPE - plastic that is used in those glossy department store bags, dry cleaning garment bags, and most importantly the stretch wrap that is wrapped around everything from shipping pallets to multi-roll packs of toilet paper. This type of plastic has a fairly well-established recycling infrastructure -- it is clean, plentiful, and can be recycled easily, making it a valuable commodity.
The type of HDPE plastic that is used uses to make grocery bags? The recycling rates ARE DOWN - by almost 2%. 2009 - 6.1%; 2010 - 4.3%. LDPE/LLDPE rates are up from 13.4% to 17.6% from 2009 to 2010, however.
It seems the only winners in this scenario are the plastic bag manufacturers -- they can continue to increase their sales of plastic bags and at the same time make a profit by the collection and recycling of the more profitable LDPE/LLDPE shrink wrap.
Further, the plastic bag manufacturers have supposedly spent millions of dollars, urging consumers to recycle their plastic bags, with no success whatsoever. According to the EPA, consumers are now even less likeley to properly dispose of their HDPE grocery bags than ever before.
As you claim to be a "green"
As you claim to be a "green" website, this article has inhibited your past, present, and future credibility in my eyes. Plastics remain longer than their intended use. At the least, trees clean our increasingly disgusting air.
Think of the last time you
Think of the last time you used a plastic bag. How long did you use it? To carry your lunch which came in a paper bag and then was put inside a plastic bag back to your office 2 blocks? 10 minutes max? Get the waste? Think of how much oil was used and how far that bag had to travel to get into your hands.
And to say that people reuse plastic bags other than putting dog/cat crap in is a lie. I've never seen someone pull out a plastic bag at a store and reuse it. Instead it's tossed in the trash and ends up in a land fill where it's blows to the ocean. The ocean, where many mammals ingest the bags.
Reusable bags are bigger, stronger and last longer. I've had the same one for 7 years now. How long have you had your prized plastic bag that you supposedly reuse?
Such an incredibly ignorant
Such an incredibly ignorant article that I simply don't know where to begin. (Although I do especially like the assertation that "Plastic pollution of the oceans probably isn’t as bad as you think." Yeah. Right.)
It took me by complete surprise that it should appear on a site labeled 'Greenbiz' when its erroneous facts and pro-plastic conclusions are really more appropriate for Fox News.
Guess it goes to again show that simply using the word 'Green' does not an informed environmentalist make.
Unreal. PITY the plastic
Unreal. PITY the plastic bag??? Your statements are mostly not backed up by fact. WHO prefers plastic over cloth? WHY.
ANY ocean pollution and danger to the wildlife from plastic bags in not acceptable. Who cares if it isn't as bad as you think?
Recycling uses up valuable natural resources. For what reason? Convenience of a plastic bag.
Plastic bags are strictly a convenience. A lazy man's convenience.
And on and on. I think you wrote this to get attention to your blog not because you believe it. You can't possibly believe it. Well, you got what you wanted. Attention. Negative attention.
The bag fee in DC--and in
The bag fee in DC--and in Montgomery County--isn't a response to plastic in the oceans. It is a response to the fact that HALF the trash in the Anacostia River tributaries is plastic bags. Right here, right in our backyard. That costs a lot of money to clean up. So if you want to use a plastic bag, fine, but you should also pay to cover the cost of the end of its life, because it's burdensome to all taxpayers to leave cleanup to the government.
Bag tax started today in
Bag tax started today in Montgomery County Maryland. Nothing worse than the facade of being green and politically correct combined with the reality of enhanced environmental damage caused by reusable bag manufacture and transport. Add to that loss personal choice, unsanitary reused bags, a political money grab and a new mean-spirited self righteous bureaucracy. The worst our local government has to offer on so many levels.
You say the rubbish in the
You say the rubbish in the Ocean is not the size of Texas. have you been there? The thing is, plastic bags SINK. I threw a lot in a swimming pool some years ago & within a couple of days I couldn´t see them. They were all on the bottom. This is what happens in the Ocean. & they suffocate it....
Using one bag once, what ever it is made of is waste. I happily re-use my canvas bags made out of waste material. I re-use & re-use paper bags. I even use my hands! I don´t believe I´m going to get e. coil.... oh, the plastic industry said that, so that means nothing anyway & wasn´t really worth including in your article. A few bits of dirt from my potatoes ain´t gunna kill me!
On the other hand, millions of marine animals are dying because of our plastic bags, it is suffocating our ocean floor. & who is anyone to ague with that?
This smells of self serving
This smells of self serving propaganda.
The waste that is generated every day in America from plastic bag use is disgusting. It's just not that hard to understand. We take a finite resource from the ground, make one use plastic bags, and throw them away. Not only is it harmful to the environment - it's extremely wasteful. Explain it to a child - he/she would know how stupid we're being. Shame on you Marc Gunther and Greenbiz.com!
Wow. You claim to be a green
Wow. You claim to be a green website?
Did you know that the good old USA uses 12 million barrels of oil each year to manufacture plastic bags? Twelve million! For a product that is intended to be used once and disposed of. This is sheer lunacy when there’s talk of a fossil fuel shortage and people are at war over oil. Is the convenience of a plastic bag worth the life of a soldier? I think not.
I've read the arguments in favor of plastic bags: What will we pick our dog's poop up with? How can we get our takeout home without it leaking on the car floor? Frankly, these arguments frustrate me. Should we really continue thoughtlessly providing plastic bags to *everyone who shops, just because a few people will miss them when they're gone? These people need to understand that those bags are a HUGE environmental issue. They damage our ecosystem and litter our highways.
And as for the argument that people recycle them? Maybe some do. But my husband has spent a fair amount of time working at the county landfill. The one item that he notices? Plastic bags. They're flying everywhere in the breeze he says. Stuck in trees, hung up on rocks.
Paper bags are not the perfect solution either, but at least they will break down in a compost pile. The best option, obviously, is for each of us to take charge of our bag needs by bringing our own reusable cloth bags.
If there's any question in your mind about whether or not bags are a drain on our environment, I hope you'll take an hour out of your busy schedule to watch a film called "Bag It." It's an eye opener.
Let's turn back the time 30
Let's turn back the time 30 years ago when all we had was paper bags or reusable boxes. There were no plastic bags floating in the air or hanging from trees. At least a paper bag will compost and give back to the Earth. Americans have gotten lazy and like the convience of plastic bags, it's what companies have us use to using. Elimating plastic, bags, bottles, all this disposable stuff would be a step in the right direction for our planet and future generations. I applaud the people that make an effort to no loner use plastic. We need to stop using disposable stuff. Recycling is good but reusing is better.
Hilex Poly? Aren't you the
Hilex Poly? Aren't you the guys that sued a small American company that makes a reusable cloth bag... your competition? Please be honest!
Your arguments are very weak.
1. The science that you dispute actually shows that by bringing your own bag, you save money and the environment. Your suggestion to keep using plastic bags is actually taxing customers. We pay for your bags at the grocery store with inflated grocery prices. And we pay taxes for waste management to pull your bags out of trees, fences, gutters, and everywhere else. It's dishonest to call Plastic Bag Bans anything other than a citizens choice. The status quo is a tax.
2. Plastic in the ocean is much worse than you think. There's plastic in all 5 gyres that form garbage patches. The folks at 5Gyres.org can show you the photos. These garbage patches have a soup-like consistency of plastic particles the size of fish food. They occupy roughly 25% of the earth's surface. That's much worse for the world than the idea of a Texas-size island the news portrays. It's dishonest to perpetuate media-myths about amount of plastic in the oceans, and ignore the scientific facts about how widespread it really is.
3. You minimize the threat to the ocean. Scientists find shredded plastic film in the ocean, and knotted plastic bags at sea and on beaches. Ocean Conservancy, hosting the largest beach cleanup in the world, found that 11% of their trash was plastic bags. In the marine mammal studies, it's rare to find beached dead whales without plastic bags in their stomachs. Don't lie and say your plastic bags are not in the ocean. It's dishonest to disregard scientists, and preach that your product does no harm.
This issue is not complicated at all. Plastic Bag Bans Work! Plastic Bag Bans save people money. The alternatives create good jobs for Americans. Plastic Bag Bans safe marine life from injury and suffering. It's simply the right thing to do.
Hilex bags = fracking???
Hilex bags = fracking???
You claim that Hilex's bags are made from natural gas. Can you confirm how much of that natural gas is generated through fracking. This much maligned method of natural gas drilling contaminates local groundwater supplies, enabling residents to light their drinking water on fire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRZ4LQSonXA
Also, how much petroleum is consumed shipping my used plastic bags from California to your recycling plant in Indiana?
Reusable bags made from cotton have no such problems.
Did you consider how much
Did you consider how much water is used in your cotton shopping bag? Water is the most scarce resource we have now. A good life cycle analysis, like the one quoted in the article can give you more (or at least some) facts for your consideration.
Your article sounds like an
Your article sounds like an advertisement for Hilex and most of the ideas and evidence are taken right from their lobbying website. I sincerely congratulate Hilex on their recycling efforts, but until the general public loses their apathy, demands access to recycling in their community and actually uses those services -- I will support reusable bags and paper. The "true cost" of the plastic bag is not about energy, but what happens when it is not re-used or recycled.
Plastic, not just plastic bags, will continue to be a massive issue for future generations.