Ten years ago, California made history as the first U.S. state to implement a ban on plastic bags. However, in the years that followed, the state saw an unexpected increase in plastic waste in landfills. This was due to a loophole in the bag ban that allowed stores to continue offering plastic bags at checkout for a small fee, as long as the bags were labeled as reusable and made of thicker plastic.
The thicker plastic used in these bags ultimately led to more waste when they ended up in landfills. The initial intention of the ban was to encourage people to bring their own reusable bags to stores. However, policymakers underestimated the impact of a small fee on changing consumer behavior.
Recently, California closed this loophole by updating the law to ban all non-paper bags from being distributed at store checkout stands. The revised law simplifies the process by only offering paper bags at checkout if customers haven’t brought a reusable bag. This change is expected to significantly reduce plastic bag pollution in the state.
Despite California’s efforts, other states have followed suit with similar bag bans that include loopholes allowing thicker plastic bags. Efforts are now underway to amend existing laws in at least two states to close these loopholes and prevent the same mistakes from being repeated.
In states where plastic bag bans are still in effect but allow thicker plastic bags, environmental advocates are calling for a complete ban on all plastic bags made of thin film. This includes states like Connecticut, Maine, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington, where there are exceptions for thicker plastic bags in their regulations.
Moving forward, legislators are looking to learn from California’s experience and implement more stringent regulations to combat plastic pollution. Lawmakers in states like Oregon are planning to introduce bills that expand bag bans to cover disposable plastic bags of any thickness, mirroring the success of California’s recent revisions to their bag ban law.
Additionally, other states are experimenting with different language in their bag ban laws to close the thick-bag loophole. For example, New York specifies that reusable bags must be made of cloth or machine washable fabric, while Colorado, Delaware, New Jersey, and Vermont require bags to have stitched handles. In Massachusetts, where a statewide bag ban is being considered, efforts are being made to craft a comprehensive bill that eliminates loopholes for thicker plastic bags.
Overall, states are working to strengthen their bag ban laws and prevent the use of thicker plastic bags, ultimately aiming to reduce plastic waste and pollution for a cleaner, more sustainable future.
