Are Plastic Lobbyists Winning the Fight Against Plastic Bag Bans?
How Far Is the Bag Ban Movement Likely to Reach?
To date, eight states have been banned single-use plastic bags. This is an amazing accomplishment! Banning single-use plastic bags takes a lot of work, primarily because there is a lot of resistance. The plastic manufacturing industry works hard to prevent bans from happening, and there is concern that these plastic bag lobbyists will stop the bag ban movement from spreading. Find out how lobbyists are working to stop the bag ban movement and what you can do to change things.
Value of Bag Bans
Simply switching to shopping bags that are reusable eliminates the trouble and hassle of plastic bags. Single-use plastic bags are bad news for a variety of reasons. These bags are very likely to become litter which is harmful to animals and their habitats and can have dire consequences on the food chain.
Another likely fate for single-use plastic bags is to end up in landfills, where they will take up space and contribute to landfills reaching capacity. Plastic bags are made from nonrenewable resources and when these bags are not recycled those materials are lost, so more resources must be used to manufacture more bags.
Importance of Grassroots Movements
The bag ban movement in the U.S. really started at a local level. Individual cities and towns pass bans and the movement spreads to neighboring towns until eventually a state-wide bag ban law is passed. Local bans show people that living without single-use plastic is possible and reusable shopping bags are an easy substitute to make. This system has proven effective in several states so far and a recent article in Politico breaks down the importance of passing laws at the local level.
States Ban Bag Bans
The Politico article also explains how plastic lobbyists have been successful in blocking plastic bag bans in other states (see our Plastic Bag Ban Map link at top of page). A number of states have laws that prevent cities and towns from passing laws banning single-use plastic bags. These laws mandate that any action taken must be done at the state level. State-wide bag bans are not very likely to happen in such states.
Do Your Part
You may feel that there is nothing you can do to reduce plastic and change the system, but you can help. Simply by opting to use bags for shopping that you can reuse, you can reduce the amount of single-use plastic trash generated. You can also let your officials know the importance of single-use plastic bag bans and how much this issue means to you as a voter. Consider joining local efforts to ban single-use plastic. Many communities in states with laws preventing local laws still have groups that work towards changing those laws.
How Your Business Can Help
Your business can help out by selecting custom reusable promotional products. Customizing bags for shopping that you can reuse are a great way to help your customers reduce plastic while also increasing the awareness and recognition of your brand. We have been in the business of helping people create custom promotional products for over 10 years, so we know a thing or two about sustainability and going green.
We think businesses and consumers are winning each time they choose to #GoReusableNow. Create your own custom reusable bags for marketing. Stay in the know each time a bag ban is passed, find out when we offer Eco Specials, and more when you sign up for our newsletter.
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