A new study says New Yorkers might be using more plastic after the state’s bag ban.
The Freedonia Group, a market research firm, published a study that suggests New York’s plastic bag ban isn’t working.
The Freedonia Group On Plastic Bag Ban
The Freedonia Group, commissioned by the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, claims the ban may have actually increased plastic use.
The study suggests shoppers switched to heavier non-woven polypropylene reusable bags, which use more plastic and take more energy to produce than the old single-use bags.
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Producing NWPP bags consumes more plastic and generates significantly more greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing than polyethylene bags.
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
The study claimed most reusable bags are used only a few times before being thrown away, undermining the ban’s purpose. According to experts, many of these bags are thrown out after just a few trips, meaning the environmental benefit of the ban isn’t working.
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Photo by Brian Yurasits on Unsplash
Photo by Brian Yurasits on Unsplash
However, the New York State DEC says the plastic bag ban reduces litter, while highlighting the decrease in plastic bags in New York’s waste system.
Officials also point to cleaner streets and fewer plastic bags in New York City’s waste stream. The key to helping the environment is to reuse your bags multiple times, not just swapping one type of plastic for another.
Environmental groups also point out that the Freedonia Group study doesn’t account for long-term habits, noting that proper bag reuse still makes a big difference.
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