Paper or plastic? You hardly ever hear that question anymore (now at check out they just ask you which of 100 different charities you would like to donate to). The shopping world is now all about those reusable bags… and why not, they are super wonderful for the environment… right? Well – I always like to understand the REAL lifetime impact of, say, the energy costs associated with creating a CFL compared to it’s “saving” of electricity over it’s lifetime. Usually – when you look at these sort of things the data ends up telling you – there’s no real savings. I don’t have any data on those reusable bags…
So now – the question is – what about those plastic bags at the grocery store – are they so bad? If you listen to Laurie Kusek, a spokeswoman for the American Plastics Council she’s going to tell you “…it is important to understand that plastic grocery bags are some of the most reused items around the house. Many, many bags are reused as book and lunch bags as kids head off to school, as trash can liners, and to pickup Fido’s droppings off the lawn.” And it’s hard to argue her position (I mean, she did mention kids, awwww) – those bags have held my gardening tools, tractor parts, muddy shoes and doggie doo doo more times at our house than I think we could count. They do make for some super convenient bagging! Factor in the fact that when compared to paper grocery bags, plastic grocery bags consume 40 percent less energy, generate 80 percent less solid waste, produce 70 percent fewer atmospheric emissions, and release up to 94 percent fewer waterborne wastes, and that sounds terrific (thanks for those stats American Plastics Council).
So if they are so great then what’s with the irony of Washington DC (the “heart” of the land of the free) deciding to protect the environment by placing a tax of 5 cents on every plastic bag you check out with? Some might say any product specific tax is in someway about limiting citizen choice, for our own good, of course (during the Boston Tea Party – they were called stamps). Fundamentally – increased expenses can change consumer behavior, right?
Now – the argument here goes something like this. The Washington DC government (local, NOT Federal) has performed some “research”. “Our research shows that plastic bags are a major component of the trash in the Anacostia River,” said Maureen McGowan, interim director of the city’s environment department. So – to save the planet (and the river) the logic is to tax the sale of plastic bags to promote consumers using different bags. National Geographic reports that plastic bag litter has become such an environmental nuisance and eyesore that Ireland, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, and Bangladesh have heavily taxed the totes or banned their use outright.
I have to say – the initial headline that caught my attention had the feel of more government interference in the lives of private citizens. More lobby groups who are “offended” by the presence of renegade plastic bags that feel compelled to “protect” us from random plastic bag attacks. Yet, as I researched this and uncovered that the industry estimates that over 1 TRILLION shopping bags are produced and used each year globally and the lowest end of the range they estimate that is not disposed of (or recycled) properly is 0.5% = well, that is a total of 5 BILLION bags whipping in the wind every year.
All that thinking leaves me sitting at the keyboard wondering – is this the exact type of issue that government SHOULD act on and persuade the behaviors of it’s citizens or is this just an invasive act for a cause that I think is just?
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.af09375837a21e6bf486e0c8aed43c9a.01&show_article=1
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0902_030902_plasticbags.html
No more choice or plastic bags
Paper or plastic? You hardly ever hear that question anymore (now at check out they just ask you which of 100 different charities you would like to donate to). The shopping world is now all about those reusable bags… and why not, they are super wonderful for the environment… right? Well – I always like to understand the REAL lifetime impact of, say, the energy costs associated with creating a CFL compared to it’s “saving” of electricity over it’s lifetime. Usually – when you look at these sort of things the data ends up telling you – there’s no real savings. I don’t have any data on those reusable bags…
So now – the question is – what about those plastic bags at the grocery store – are they so bad? If you listen to Laurie Kusek, a spokeswoman for the American Plastics Council she’s going to tell you “…it is important to understand that plastic grocery bags are some of the most reused items around the house. Many, many bags are reused as book and lunch bags as kids head off to school, as trash can liners, and to pickup Fido’s droppings off the lawn.” And it’s hard to argue her position (I mean, she did mention kids, awwww) – those bags have held my gardening tools, tractor parts, muddy shoes and doggie doo doo more times at our house than I think we could count. They do make for some super convenient bagging! Factor in the fact that when compared to paper grocery bags, plastic grocery bags consume 40 percent less energy, generate 80 percent less solid waste, produce 70 percent fewer atmospheric emissions, and release up to 94 percent fewer waterborne wastes, and that sounds terrific (thanks for those stats American Plastics Council).
So if they are so great then what’s with the irony of Washington DC (the “heart” of the land of the free) deciding to protect the environment by placing a tax of 5 cents on every plastic bag you check out with? Some might say any product specific tax is in someway about limiting citizen choice, for our own good, of course (during the Boston Tea Party – they were called stamps). Fundamentally – increased expenses can change consumer behavior, right?
Now – the argument here goes something like this. The Washington DC government (local, NOT Federal) has performed some “research”. “Our research shows that plastic bags are a major component of the trash in the Anacostia River,” said Maureen McGowan, interim director of the city’s environment department. So – to save the planet (and the river) the logic is to tax the sale of plastic bags to promote consumers using different bags. National Geographic reports that plastic bag litter has become such an environmental nuisance and eyesore that Ireland, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, and Bangladesh have heavily taxed the totes or banned their use outright.
I have to say – the initial headline that caught my attention had the feel of more government interference in the lives of private citizens. More lobby groups who are “offended” by the presence of renegade plastic bags that feel compelled to “protect” us from random plastic bag attacks. Yet, as I researched this and uncovered that the industry estimates that over 1 TRILLION shopping bags are produced and used each year globally and the lowest end of the range they estimate that is not disposed of (or recycled) properly is 0.5% = well, that is a total of 5 BILLION bags whipping in the wind every year.
All that thinking leaves me sitting at the keyboard wondering – is this the exact type of issue that government SHOULD act on and persuade the behaviors of it’s citizens or is this just an invasive act for a cause that I think is just?
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.af09375837a21e6bf486e0c8aed43c9a.01&show_article=1
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0902_030902_plasticbags.html