More and more California communities are adopting local ordinances that implement a plastic carryout bag ban. In the haste to ban plastic carryout bags, officials fail to take into consideration the costs that are passed onto residents. Not only will residents incur out-of-pocket costs to purchase bags, but depending upon the type of bag chosen, residents are required to spend personal time to manage bags and maintain bags in a sanitary condition. In the article “Plastic Bag Alternatives Much More Costly to Consumers” the authors analyze the annual cost per household of different bag alternatives and monetize the value of one’s personal time at $12 per hour (half of the California Average Labor Rate). The article costs out store supplied plastic carryout bags, self-purchased plastic carryout bags, paper bags, durable reusable bags, and cheaper reusable bags. Continue reading What Will A Plastic Carryout Bag Ban Cost Your Community?
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Landfill Impacts of Banning Plastic Carryout Bags
There are many who want to ban plastic carryout bags to help protect the environment, but have never thought through the consequences. One California state legislator stated “the amount of plastics going into the waste stream is pretty large.” What this legislator does not know is that the Plastic Carryout Bag Ban that he favored has unintended consequences that will make matters worse.
A ban typically involves banning plastic carryout bags and charging a fee for each paper bag issued. The fee is intended to motivate the consumer to use reusable bags. The basic idea is that a reusable bag, because you use it over and over, has a smaller impact on the environment than a plastic bag. Continue reading Landfill Impacts of Banning Plastic Carryout Bags
Fight The Plastic Bag Ban 