When legislation was passed in Austin, Texas to require that stores no longer issue single-use plastic bags as of March 1st, 2013 I was upset. I will admit it. I realize that many of my reservations were more than likely a simple resistance to change and indeed within a couple of months it has become no longer an issue for me. In this blog I wish to briefly outline some of the advantages and potential disadvantages of the ordinance for the public as well as the businesses themselves.
Advantages:
Banning plastic bags is obviously a good thing for the environment. While folks may not like the idea I hardly doubt anyone could provide a reasonable argument for how discontinuing the use of plastic bags (which are not biodegradable) can be a good thing for the environment. In the long run, especially if this catches on everywhere else in the nation and the world we could significantly reduce our damage to the planet. Additionally, the businesses stand to benefit from this as well. Although I am reasonably certain the cost of purchasing plastic bags was not a significant ding to a company's bottom line, I would be as confident that removing that cost altogether along with now being able to sell bags in their absence has to be a profitable venture. In other words, bags have gone from a cost center (of some scale) to a revenue center (of some scale).
Another advantage for me at least, is that it causes me to buy less food at a time. I generally go to the store once a week now. While this isn't the most convenient way to do things, it results in significantly less wasted food at my house. Whereas before I would try to buy a month's worth of groceries - which forces me to either buy unhealthy frozen junk, or conversely fresh food that winds up spoiling before I can consume it - I now go with the intention of stocking myself up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for that specific week. I rarely waste anything now.
Disadvantages:
Okay I can't say that at times this ordinance isn't annoying. Very annoying. There are few things worse than stopping by the store on my way home and grabbing some milk, bread, a couple odds and ends, and a bottle of wine, getting to the register and realizing I forgot my bag because it is either in my car or at home still. I am then forced to make the choice of purchasing another bag, knowing I already have several, or trying to juggle my items out to the care like those circus performers so eloquently do with their spinning plates. A small disadvantage I know, but a disadvantage nonetheless.
On the business side according to KVUE in Austin, having reusable bags makes shoplifting easier. I can agree to this. Before you go accusing me of shoplifting let's settle down for a moment. While I haven't actually shoplifted personally I could see how easy it could be, especially with groceries. When I go to the store for only a few items and I carry my bag in, guess what I am using in-store to carry my items around? If you guessed my own bag as opposed to the store's mini carts you were right. Walking around the store with an opaque bag full of items it is easy for one to at least ponder "I wonder how hard it would be to just walk out with some or all of these items?"
Conclusion:
Stores can keep track of theft and forgetting bags is more of a petty grievance than anything. The positive impacts on the business and environmental side seem to outweigh the possible negative impacts to the consumer and the business.
After reading Wes Davis’ take on the “Bag Ban” in Austin, I commend his lengthy opinions on both the pros and cons of ridding plastic bags.
ReplyDeleteDisadvantages of ridding these non-biodegradable bags include the convenience to the consumers, such as being able to wad them up into small amounts and store them in packed tight spaces, requiring less space and composed of less weight than paper bags, and convenience to retailers, as plastic bags are very cost-effective at a fraction of a cent per piece, in comparison to five cents or more per paper bag. As for me personally, I enjoy using plastic bags as my trash bags for the tiny trash cans that are easily transportable. I agree that even going to the grocery store, while forgetting my bags to take with me, is a pain at times.
Some of the advantages that Davis had not mentioned include the durability and strength of paper bags over plastic ones, as I am able to transport a variety of belongings without the paper bag ripping on me. Also, I agree with Davis that the economic benefits for the store must be greater now that people are obligated to buy bags at the checkout.
As far as convenience and costs goes, plastic bags conquer paper bags; however, the cost on the environment definitely does not compare to these overhead benefits that might come with the ban.
Davis states that discontinuing the use of plastic bags is obviously good for the environment, but he does not delve into how exactly the environment benefits or is harmed. This leads me to take an expanded view on the effect of this ban towards the environment.
Plastic bags are detrimental to the environment through the way they degrade -- in fact, these bags take an enormous length of time to degrade, and end up breaking down into contaminating particles that pollute the soil and nearby water sources. This means damage to the marine life; many aquatic animals mistake the bags for food, resulting in the death of around 100,000 marine animals a year. Thousands of birds also die from swallowing and choking on the discarded particles. Even more, the non-renewable source of petroleum that is used to make plastic bags could be used for transportation or heating.
Though very few, the advantages that plastic bags have on the environment include its smaller weight, which reduces to less solid waste in the landfill. According to EPA, the manufacturing of paper bags requires 40 percent more energy to produce them, contributes 70 percent more air pollution, and adds 50 percent more to water pollution.
My only other contention, or added opinion, is that I do not believe ridding of the plastic bags will help the nation’s garbage management, which is crucial for a solution concerning our situation now. We are in need of a cost-effective process for collecting and recycling the remaining plastic bags that still circulate, or at least to find a way for these bags to degrade safely so to not clog waterways and spoil the landscape.
I agree with Davis in that the benefits of the ban exceed the disadvantages, especially since the condition of our environment is what we should be taking care of the most. The condition of the earth is what will sustain the life that inhabits it; therefore, I place much higher priority in supporting the legislation that helps preserve marine and human life. I also find reusable bags to be very handy and effective, and the economic benefits reign towards the ban on plastic bags.
In all, the environment and economy is greatly aided through this bag ban; we are able to contribute to the collecting, disposing, and street-cleaning costs, and also reduce the numerous bags that are being wastefully thrown away. I believe that this ban should be upheld in other states for the betterment of our environment and economy.
Classmate Wes Davis wrote a nice editorial called Bag Ban: The Impacts. He talked about the bag ban in Austin that prohibits the use of plastic carryout bags in retail stores. While Davis was able to write about both the advantages and disadvantages of the ban, I mostly only see negative things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Davis that the bag ban is supposed to be a good thing for the environment. However, Austin is just one of few cities to implement this ban. Does it really make much of a difference to the environment if all the other hundreds of cities are still using plastic bags? Should we really bother? Whenever I decide to take a detour to HEB on the way to my apartment, it isn't until I'm in the checkout line that I realize I don't have my reusable bags. It's no problem to use the shopping cart to load all of my things into the car, but once I get home, I have to hope my roommates are home to help move all my food and crap into the house. It's a hassle for no reason if this ban won't catch on. Although, I would love to see Davis's "circus performer act."
Unlike Davis, the ban doesn't prevent me from wasting food, because I've always been frugal as hell. I don't let any of my food spoil or go bad, so having to take multiple trips to and from the store, buying a small amount of items at a time when I forget to put the bags back in my car, is nothing but an inconvenience.
The worse thing of all has to be the huge increase in shoplifting. Davis was correct in saying that reusable bags has made shoplifting much easier, especially since some people use backpacks instead of the reusable bags.
What I want to know is what's wrong with using paper bags. When the ban was first enacted and I went to HEB without knowing about it, I asked if there were any bags they could give me. The cashier told me that they could give me some paper bags, but they'd cost me about a dollar each. One, paper bags aren't very strong. They're paper! Do you know how many paper bags I'd have to purchase to carry all of my groceries?! Two, why are you charging me for paper bags? Stores always used to ask their customers if they wanted paper or plastic bags. If you're trying to save the environment by cutting out plastic bags, why offer me paper bags? You're cutting down the trees to make these paper bags. That seems counterproductive to helping the environment. And while you're offering these paper bags, why are you making me pay for them if they're okay to be used? I don't get it.
In the end, I enjoyed Davis's humorous commentary and was happy that he at least found something positive about the bag ban. However, I think maybe we should keep our plastic bags and just force people to start recycling them, or something.