New Research examines pros and cons of plastic bag reduction policies

BELMONT (Scrap Monster): According to a new research conducted by the University of New Hampshire (UNH), all policy actions aimed at reducing plastic bag usage has their pros and cons. The study was jointly conducted by John Halstead, Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics at University of New Hampshire, and Megan McLaughlin, assistant town planner in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The research was funded by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project.

The research study carried out a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of various policy actions initiated by local, state and national governments including efforts to support recycling of plastic bags, introduction of taxes on plastic bags and outright ban on use of the same. The study found that imposition of high taxes on plastic bags tends to trigger a behavior change in customers, thereby leading to significant reduction in plastic bag usage rate.

The study covered various US communities that have taken plastic bag action. The research carried out in Washington, DC, Portland, ME, Breckenridge, CO, and Montgomery County, MD revealed that consumers are forced to keep away from plastic bags when taxes are high. Moreover, the taxes collected on plastic bags could be used to fund environmental and social welfare programmes. For instance, the imposition of 5-cent fee on plastic bags generated nearly $2 million in revenue in Washington, DC. Also, Breckenridge, CO reported 40% decline in usage of plastic bags within the first year of implementation of bag fees.

An outright ban on plastic bag usage is recommended in order to completely free the environment from plastic bags. However, may ban programmes do have loopholes that ultimately tend to cause damage to environment. For instance, ban on usage of bags of certain thickness resulted in increased usage of thicker plastic bags in Austin, TX and Honolulu, Hawaii. The ban in Austin excluded plastic bags with 4mm thickness or greater with handles. Studies showed that the ban was successful in restricting the use of bags covered by the ban. However, the usage of categories of plastic bags exempted by the ban increased drastically. Other communities that implemented plastic bag ban that were covered by the study included Portland, OR, Westport, CT, and Alameda County, CA.

The study of the state of Delaware, state of Rhode Island, Phoenix, AZ, and Brooklyn, NY where take-back/recycling programs were introduced, revealed mixed results. According to John Halstead and Megan McLaughlin, the success of take-back/recycling programs depends on its outreach. Such programs cannot be successful unless retail, grocery and pharmaceutical business establishments are part of it. The success of the program depends on the extent of participation offered by these establishments, which are considered to be the key distributors of plastic bags. In Phoenix, AZ, voluntary recycling participation by grocer members has contributed immensely towards significant reduction in plastic bag usage. The plastic bags brought to MRFs have also dropped by nearly 20% since the implementation of take-back/recycling programme.