Disposable plastic bags are officially banned in Montreal. Several other Canadian cities have implemented plastic bag bans, but Montreal is the first major city in Canada to enact such a law. A bag ban is a major accomplishment for the city and the environment. Like anything the ban will take some getting used to for both residents and businesses.
Plastic bag bans are sweeping the country and Stamford, Connecticut could be next to join the ranks of plastic-free cities. Representative John Zelinsky plans to introduce a bill that calls for a ban on single-use plastic bags. If passed, Stamford would be the first major city in the Constitution State to implement a plastic bag ban.
At the start of 2017, a disposable plastic bag ban became effective in New Castle, New York. The outfit that handles recycling pickup in this city, SaniPro Disposal, is taking things a step further and putting an end to picking up recyclables placed in plastic bags. This move further reduces the need and reliance on disposable plastic bags and helps pave the way for reusable recycling bags.
Montreal plans to ring in the New Year by officially implementing their plastic bag ban. This measure has been many years in the making, but all of the hard work will pay off on January 1, 2018. Residents and officials alike both supported the ban due to the environmental impact of plastic. With no single-use bags available, shoppers will need to turn to reusable bags in order to carry goods home from the store.
In November of 2016 California voters approved a statewide plastic bag ban. The goal of the California bag ban was to reduce plastic bag litter, along with the cost to clean up the mess and the resulting environmental problems. One year after the plastic bag ban was passed residents have noticed the impact.
Disposable plastic bags can be convenient for shoppers, but they also have some major negative impacts. Plastic bag bans encourage consumers to use reusable bags. Making the switch to reusable bags puts an end to the harm caused by disposable bags. Single-use plastic bags are very likely to end up as litter, and once that happens there are a lot of resulting problems. The emergence of plastic bag bans improves communities on several fronts.
A couple of the newest plastic bag bans in the U.S. are both in Rhode Island! Neighboring cities Middletown and Newport passed separate bans that both became effective on November 1, 2017. These Ocean State neighbors join the ranks of hundreds of other cities across the U.S. that have decided to invest in a clean future that is free from the litter of plastic bags.
Disposable plastic bag bans are big news for the environment, but they can also have an impact on your business. Whether your business is in the retail sector or part of another industry, plastic bag bans can have an impact on the way you do business, as well as your marketing.
The sustainability of our planet is reliant on the active participation of its inhabitants. Convenience is king, especially for today’s retail shoppers, and single-use plastic bags fulfill those innate desires with ease. But with single-use bag bans and encouragement of reusable shopping bags, we can all make an important difference.
However, in a March 2017 article posted by Direct Selling News, data shows that modern shoppers lean towards being more community-conscious and are more skeptical of traditional business and life practices than past generations. The rise of social media and search engines and the deterioration of intellectual borders allows information to spread at record speeds. As a result, things don’t remain stagnant without a good reason.
Luckily for the planet and future generations alike, green initiatives appear to be shooting up the list of “things to focus on.” Below, we explore 4 recent examples of reusable bags and single-use plastic bag bans making the news.
Plastic bag bans are becoming more common, and New York may be the next state to implement a ban of their own. New York State will likely pass a law regulating single-use plastic bags in the near future. A task force established by Governor Andrew Cuomo, regarding how to handle the influx of disposable plastic bags and the resulting litter, is poised to make a recommendation by the end of the year.
As plastic bag bans gain momentum in the United States, North Carolina lawmakers recently overturned a long standing plastic bag ban in the Outer Banks. Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of an environmental bill was overturned by the General Assembly. After an eight year hiatus, disposable plastic bags will be allowed again in shops throughout the Outer Banks.
To address the plastic pollution problem in Kenya, disposable plastic bag bans have been considered twice before. The amount of trash is so significant, that Kenyan officials have tried to pass plastic bag bans and encourage the use of reusable bags for years. Previous Kenya plastic bag ban efforts have not worked and the problem has grown. This past August, Kenya passed what is their third attempt at a disposable plastic bag ban. The latest ban imposes strict penalties upon anyone caught violating the law.
In support of reusable bags and in a stand against plastic pollution, Chilean President Michele Bachelet announced big news last week at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Over the next 12 months, Chile plans to ban disposable plastic bags from all coastal cities in Chile. This is the first country in North or South America to issue such a ban and more are sure to follow.
In 2007, San Francisco became the first American city to implement a plastic bag ban. Nine years later, California took the next step when a statewide bag ban was approved, the first of its kind in America. Similarly, on a global scale, Italy became the first European country with a nationwide single-use plastic bag ban back in 2011.
Each of these locations is implementing bans to take the necessary steps towards limiting, and eventually ending, the production of single-use plastic bags. As a result of these bans, plastic litter will be reduced, natural habitats will be preserved, and the environment will have the opportunity to flourish without single-use plastic bags holding it back.
Custom reusable bags are a win for the environment, consumers and your business. But for a few years, there has been a lot of talk in the media about just how unhealthy grocery tote bags are to use. Using scare tactics, some members of the media, backed by the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade organization that supports disposable plastic bag manufacturers, has propagated this myth. But a myth it is, as confirmed by Politifact Texas.
Multiple efforts to legally reduce the use of disposable plastic bags in Minneapolis have fallen short. This past week the City Council declined to vote on a proposal that would have levied a 5-cent fee on bags handed out at the checkout. This comes after an approved plastic bag ban was overturned by the governor. For now there are no laws regulating disposable plastic bags in Minneapolis. Our hope remains that Minneapolis retailers and businesses will still offer custom reusable shopping bags.
On August 18 the Minneapolis City Council will vote on whether stores should impose a 5-cent fee on single-use bags handed out at stores. A council committee unanimously approved an ordinance on Monday, August 7 that would levy a fee on all bags handed out a local retailers. The ordinance specifically lists plastic, paper, compostable and reusable bags. This is not the first time the city has attempted to reduce waste and litter with a law regulating shopping bags.
Miami Beach is poised to be the next Florida city to implement their own plastic bag ban. Officials in the City of Miami Beach unanimously passed an ordinance that would prohibit sidewalk cafes from handing out single-use disposable bags. Officials decided to move forward with a ban to reduce the litter that builds up on streets, and in parks, storm drains and waterways.
Plastic bag bans may be spreading throughout Florida as St. Petersburg officials decide to move forward with a ban. In a 3-1 vote St. Pete’s environmental committee voted in favor of drafting a ban. Many supporters cite environmental concern as reason enough to ban disposable plastic bags in favor of custom reusable bags. Others, including the Florida Retail Federation, are not sure a ban is the best course of action.
Plastic bag bans are common in Hawaii. All of the counties that make up the archipelago have passed their own plastic bag bans, so the entire state is covered by a series of similar bans. Locals got behind the measure to ban bags in the city and county of Honolulu because they saw plastic bags as marring the natural beauty of their home. Tourism is also such a big part of the local economy that many residents felt there was value to preserving the beauty and pristine conditions of the area. With plastic bag bans in place, the idea was that everyone would switch to reusable grocery bags. That’s not exactly how things happened.