3 Ways Plastic Bag Bans Improve Communities

#GoReusableNow and Help Your Community

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.

1. Save Tax Dollars on Clean-Up of Unsightly Plastic Bag Pollution

   Litter is ugly to look at, but the problems caused by litter run so much deeper. The cost to cities to clean up pollution can get very expensive. A study conducted in California prior to the statewide ban being enacted in 2017 put the collective cost for 95 cities to clean up litter at $500 million is annually. This is a substantial amount of money. It is also a very necessary expense that can be reduced through bag bans.

   And new data from September’s Coastal Clean Up Day show that plastic bag litter has dropped 72% since 2010. Along the coast of California, plastic bag litter now accounts for less than 1.5 percent of all litter. In 2010, that figure was at almost 10 percent.

   Failure to clean up plastic litter can result in flooding when drainage systems are blocked which can incur an even greater expense. When municipalities have to direct resources to clean up trash, that means other areas of the budget do not receive enough or any finances. The cost to clean up litter is an expensive burden to communities that can be greatly reduced through plastic bag bans.

2. Contribute to Safer Food Chain

   Plastic litter is often consumed by animals and leads to an impact on food chain from plastic pollution. Given enough time and exposure to the element disposable plastic bags break apart into smaller and smaller pieces. Animals, primarily fish and other marine species, can easily ingest these small plastic pieces that float in the water. As the food chain goes into action and smaller prey are consumed by larger predators this eventually leads to humans.

3. Save Our Wildlife

   Discarded plastic bags pose a major threat to animals. The plastic pollution impact to wildlife can have fatal consequences. Animals may confuse discarded litter with food and eat the bags. Marine animals that eat jellyfish are very likely to make this mistake. When consumed the plastic bag can become tangled or block the animal’s digestive system, which leads to a painful death. Animals can also become tangled in plastic litter, which can prevent them from being able to protect themselves against predators or find food. Nature should be allowed to run free.

   Animals can also become tangled in plastic litter, which can prevent them from being able to protect themselves against predators or find food. Nature should be allowed to run its course without interference from litter.

Do Right By Your Community

Another benefit to communities is that businesses are able to use one of the most effective advertising avenues out there in reusable bags. Plastic bag bans create a need for reusable bags. According to the Advertising Institute of America (ASI) reusable bags garner more ad impressions than any other form of advertising.

Learn more about promoting your brand with reusable bags by filling out a product quote request on the item you are interested in or contact us today!

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