Heal the Bay | The Pacific Protection Initiative

We use too much...a million toxic plastic bags are used every minute, and the number is rising.

Even though plastic bags and food containers are designed to be “disposable,” and used for seconds or minutes, plastic lasts hundreds of years or longer in the environment without biodegrading. Much of the plastic that ever was…is still here.

Recycling cannot fix the problem: Plastic is often not economically efficient to recycle, and this toxic trash is mostly shipped to third world countries (for example, only 1-4% of plastic bags are recycled.)

Almost all of the 600 bags used in California per second are discarded. Once discarded, they either enter our landfills or our marine ecosystem.

In distinction to plastic bags, each single reusable bag has the potential to eliminate hundreds of plastic bags over its lifetime.

Plastic Is Bad for Health and Wildlife

Production of plastic requires petroleum and natural gas, both non-renewable resources that are environmentally destructive, create more greenhouse gases, and increase our dependency on foreign oil (estimates range upwards of 4,000 barrels of oil utilized per day to create plastic bags).

Additionally, all plastic products that enter our marine environment eventually break down into small fragments. The world’s largest ocean garbage dump in the North Pacific is currently estimated to be 5 million square miles, larger than the entire United States, where densities of bits of plastic trash have tripled during the last decade. In some parts of the North Pacific, there is six times as much plastic by mass as there is plankton.

Plastic additives to toxins have been found to have severe health impacts, even at low exposures. Recent studies indicate that many different plastic additives such as PCBs, DDT and nonylphenols can in turn can seep into marine animals that inadvertently ingest them, which endanger their health. Even in the ocean, plastic can chemically attract other harmful compounds at concentrations over a million times that in ambient sea water. (More info: SB 899: Toxic Plastic Additives).

Styrofoam and plastic bags (which resemble jelly fish or sponges) are mistaken for food or prey by seabirds, marine mammals, fish, and sea turtles. In general, plastic harms hundreds of wildlife species, some of which are threatened or endangered species. Currently, 86% of all known species of sea turtles have had reported problems of entanglement or ingestion of marine debris.

Plastic Costs Us

Plastic litters our beaches, exacts a toll on our environment, and costs cities money to clean up. It is a threat to all ocean-dependent, tourism-oriented economies. Even the seemingly “free” bag cost is actually passed onto consumers. In 2004, the City of Los Angeles waste characterization study demonstrated that in only 30 storm drain catch basins, plastic bags were 25 percent by weight and 19 percent by volume.

In San Francisco alone, where a plastic bag ban ordinance has been adopted, City officials estimate that they spend $8.5 million annually to deal with plastic bag litter—that equates to roughly 17 cents for every bag distributed in the city (more below). Additionally:

It costs the state $25 million annually to landfill discarded plastic bags.

Public agencies in California spend in excess of $303 annually in litter abatement.

Southern California cities have spent in excess of $1.7 billion in meeting Total Maximum Daily Loads for trashed in impaired waterways.

Past and Current Solutions

Increased recycling efforts through laws like AB 2449 (see sidebar at right) are a good start, but Heal the Bay does not believe that recycling can keep pace with the ever-increasing volume of throw-away bags. Accustomed as we are to convenience, solving the plastic bag problem requires a total paradigm shift in the way we deal with packaging, thus we support fees or bans.

Plastic Bag Taxes

Ireland — Adopted in 2001

Initially a levy charged by retailers on a per bag basis to customers who utilize the plastic bags provided by the store. There are exceptions for meat, fish, poultry, ice and other loose food items.
The levy originally was 15 cents per bag. This cost has been increased to 22 cents per bag, as of 7/1/2007.

Plastic Bag Bans

Oakland, California — Adopted June 2007

This ordinance bans the use of non-biodegradable plastic carry out bags provided to the customer at the point of sale in certain retail establishments. This ban does not cover plastic produce bags. (For plastic bags to be banned from use in retail establishments they must gross $1 million in annual sales)
Additionally the ban encourages the use of reusable bags, and allows for the use of single-use paper bags, so long as they meet recycled content requirements.
Ordinance text

San Francisco, California – Adopted April 2007

Requires stores that are covered by the ordinance, pharmacies and supermarkets(with gross annual sales of $2 million), to provide recyclable paper bags and/or compostable plastic bags and/or reusable bags
Penalty - $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second violation within one year, and $500 for each additional violation within one year.
Ordinance text

Botswana

Bans retailers from providing plastic shopping bags, and requiring shoppers to provide their own reusable bags, or pay for thicker recyclable plastic bags.

Countries and Cities Contemplating Bag Bans, or Testing Bag Bans

Australia

While no ban or levy is yet in place in Australia, Southern Australia continues to push for a ban, or bag levies to decrease plastic bag use
Plastic Carry Bags — Working Towards Continuous Environmental Improvement

South Africa

In 2002, South Africa banned the production and use of certain plastic bags. These regulations were repealed in 2003, and modified. The new regulations prohibited the production of certain plastic bags in South Africa and imposed a penalty which could include a fine and/or imprisonment depending on the severity of the infraction.
Plastic Bag Regulations Information

Bangladesh

Testing a complete ban of plastic bags in the capital city of Dhaka. Depending on results of the test, the ban may expand to encompass the entire country

Hong Kong

Preparing to reduce plastic bag usage in Hong Kong in stages. The initial stage would be to introduce a levy on plastic bags provided in certain establishments, then to expand that levy to include more retailers. It is uncertain whether or not this would lead to all out plastic bag ban.

Austin, Texas

Considering various ways to reduce plastic bag usage either through bag levies, or an outright ban

Bakersfield, California

Only in the initial research stages to determine what the impact of a plastic bag ban in Bakersfield would result in.

Berkeley, California

Considering a plastic bag ban similar to the ban enacted in the City of San Francisco. The city has yet to determine whether or not a ban will be enacted.

Boston, Massachusetts

Considering a ban on plastic bags in stages. Initially large retailers would be banned from providing plastic bags, with smaller retailers being brought into the scheme later.

New Haven, Connecticut

Arguments are currently being heard on an ordinance that would ban plastic bags from supermarkets and pharmacies in the city of New Haven

Portland, Oregon

Currently in the informal information gathering stages to determine whether or not a ban on plastic bags, or strategies to reduce their use would be effective in Portland.

Phoenix, Arizona

Currently in the research stages to determine if it would be possible to phase out plastic bags, through a ban in the long term, and replace them with reusable bags and paper bags.

Santa Cruz, California

Considering an outright ban on the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags by supermarkets, drug stores and other retailers

The Pacific Protection Initiative

Plastic Bags