Plastic Bag Bans Don't Really Work According to Study

Do plastic bag bans work? There is a ton of evidence that proves it may be just a bunch of trash.

I care about the environment as much as the next person. I'm conscious about not wasting water, I pick up litter when I can I always recycle. Is that enough? That's debatable. We can always do more. Is cutting back on plastic bags the next logical step? It sounds promising but will it really make a difference? Some experts say yes but not necessarily for the better.

A plastic bag ban went into effect on January 1 in Dutchess County and it's getting more and more difficult to find a store that will give you a plastic bag. The entire state plans on banning plastic bags in March. Paper bags will be the substitute as they are made from a renewable source.

According to All About Bags, research has proven that plastic bags are easier to make, easier to reuse and they take up less space in a landfill.

NPR showed information from experts who studied California's plastic bag ban in 2016. The study indicated that though stores stopped giving away plastic bags the demand for them did not go away. People still needed them for trash, pet droppings and other miscellaneous reasons.

Instead of reusing the plastic grocery bags they purchased larger and thicker garbage bags instead.

In fact plastic bag purchases sky rocketed by about 120%.

Could a plastic bag ban work? Yes, it could in theory but we'd all have to make some serious changes in our routine and grocery stores and online stores would have to stop selling them.

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