How Do Bag Bans and Fees Impact Business? Single-use bag bans and fees do not have a significant impact on retail business and in fact, can actually lower costs. People need to purchase groceries and other goods regardless of a ban, so while there may be a period of adjustment switching to using reusable grocery bags and shopping bags, ultimately things will go on as normal.
As people are getting used to using reusable shopping bags for trips to the grocery store, single-use plastic bag bans are becoming more common in California and worldwide. There is typically some resistance to such measures, however, that does not appear to be the case in Santa Barbara County – in a recent poll of 40 North County residents in unincorporated areas, all of the people polled confirmed they were aware of similar bans and they had no problems with such bans.
As part of a policy to create a healthier and more environmentally friendly workplace single useCDA plastic bags will be banned at Chicago’s O’Hare airport – which is one of the busiest airports in the U.S. in terms of the number of passengers who pass through each year.
In a highly followed and much-anticipated move, the European Union released the details of a plan that would give member countries the power to tax or even ban single-use plastic bags. Several member countries, like Denmark, Germany, and Italy have measures in place and this new initiative would make it easier for member countries without such laws to reduce or completely eliminate the consumption of disposable plastic bags without negatively impacting trade with fellow member countries.
In all seriousness, the only environmentally responsible manner to dispose of single use plastic bags is recycling, and the bags need to be empty when recycled. Single use plastic bags are not biodegradable and they will not safely break down – they will essentially clog the landfill and cause the heap to grow larger. When disposable plastic bags are filled with trash and waste and thrown in a landfill, the plastic will even prevent biodegradable items within the bag from breaking down by cutting off exposure to the elements – so folks that bag of dog poop is there to stay. That’s not cool. You know your pooch wants to be green too!
There has been a lot of back and forth in Europe as individual countries have contemplated, and in some instances, passed single-use bag bans or fees intended to encourage shoppers to use reusable shopping bags. The European Union joined the fray and has teetered between indicating such bans were illegal when passed at the country level, while also indicating an interest in banning disposable plastic bags.
There is certainly a convenience factor to disposable plastic bags, but these flimsy bags are also responsible for a lot of environmental harm, partly because the lightweight construction that makes them easy to carry also allows these bags to function like a sail and be carried off by the wind. When single use plastic bags are deposited in the trash or put in a recycling bin a strong gust of wind can carry them away. Ultimately, any ease disposable plastic bags offer is quickly overshadowed by the environmental harm they cause.
Cities and counties throughout the United States are banning disposable plastic bags or taking measures to reduce the use of these single-use bags. The objective is typically the same: reduce the negative impacts caused by single-use plastic bags by switching to reusable shopping bags. This switch with help with a slew of environmental problems from the destruction of animal habitats to the deterioration of the food chain and marring the natural beauty of the outdoors and resolution to these problems can require a hefty expense.
Last week we told you about how the EU is in favor of reusable shopping bags and considering a single-use bag ban. Now comes word that England passed a law that will levy a fee (roughly 8 cents USD) on all disposable plastic bags given out at stores. This fee is slated to go into action in the fall of 2015 and all of the money raised by the fee will go towards charities working on environmental damage cleanup.
The European Union (EU), an economic and political union of 28 countries located mostly in Europe, has been seriously contemplating whether to ban disposable plastic bags. Several countries that belong to the EU have already passed outright bans or implanted fees on single use bags (check out the bans at https://www.factorydirectpromos.com/plastic-bag-bans), but currently there is no law at the EU level. This issue has been researched and discussed, but the vote has been pushed back on numerous occasions leaving many wondering if a decision will ever be made.
When a company wants to make greener socially, and environmentally responsible decisions, it really takes a team effort to implement these initiatives and continue to move forward and find new ways to improve sustainability. It is a great help to have all levels of your staff on board with your company’s green goals and processes. Here are eight ways you can empower and engage your staff to do just that.
It seems like just about every day there is another city or county contemplating reducing the use of disposable shopping bags through one measure or another. It is really exciting to see the different approaches and methods supporters take and it is even more exciting when all of the hard work pays off and plastic bag bans are implemented. However, everything doesn’t always go according to plan. Here is a rundown of three cities trying to find a way to make things work.
Unfortunately, plastic production is a big business. With several states passing laws allowing hydrofracking the door is wide open for more raw materials to create more environmentally harmful like disposable plastic shopping bags. When natural gas is pulled from underground shale deposits, it can be processed into polyethylene which can then be used to create a variety of plastics – including single-use plastic bags. But reusable shopping bags are still the better investment.
Plastic garbage in our oceans has been a known problem for many years, and a recent study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Superior researchers found plastic particles in the Great Lakes for the second year in a row. Plastic debris had previously been discovered in Lakes Superior, Huron, and Erie and this recent research uncovered plastic in Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario. “The accumulation of plastic particles is a great threat to our natural ecosystem and to the humans who use Lake Superior for our drinking water supply,” said Mary Balcer, director of the Lake Superior Research Institute at UW-Superior.
A recent study reported in MNN found that sea turtles are eating more and more plastic with some species eating almost twice as much today, as compared to 25 years ago. A bag ban helps reduce trash from waterways that any animal could consume. And plastic can become lodged in the animal’s digestive system and lead to death. It’s also very easy for an animal to become tangled in plastic trash and that can leave the animal unable to fend for itself. Plastic is not biodegradable and holds up just fine in water, it is almost indestructible and this is a big problem for all animals who call the oceans home.
Litter needs to be cleaned up because it is just ugly to look at and it is a danger to animals both on land and in the water. Animals can eat the bags and die or they can become tangled in the bags and are left defenseless. Litter mars the natural beauty of our parks, beaches and homes and there is just no place for it. But just how much money does it cost anyway?
In a recent poll put on TheCalifornian.com an impressive 74 percent of respondents indicated they wholeheartedly support the notion of banning plastic bags and that they would readily bring their own reusable grocery bags when they shop. This is great news and shows that folks are serious about taking this step, eliminating disposable plastic bags from the waste stream and helping the planet.
Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) is an amazing organization that was formed in response to a recognized need to provide public involvement to advance stronger environmental policy. This not-for-profit group with offices throughout Connecticut and New York has been going strong for 25 years and they seek to educate the public about environmental problems and solutions while encouraging participation in environmental campaigns.
Disposable plastic bags are deserving of the bad reputation they’ve garnered. They use up valuable non-renewable resources during the manufacturing process while also releasing dangerous greenhouse gases, and they are not biodegradable, so they never really go away.
There are a lot of people working every day to ban single-use plastic bags in their hometowns and communities. Their reasons may differ, but concern for the environment is usually a common theme. This week for What’s In the News Wednesday, we’ve rounded up several locations that have either expanded their disposable bag ban (congratulations, West Hollywood!) or are working to implement their own ordinance.