It’s been more than a decade since California banned disposable plastic bags softly in grocery stores and other businesses. Next year, the ban will become more stringent as thicker, potentially reusable plastic bags become abolished by many consumers (and pay for) their use.
But how effective is the ban on these plastic bags and the fees associated with them. Are these things to encourage reuse, paper bags, or simply hand-carrying products from stores?
It is a question the researchers tried to solve in a new peer-reviewed study submitted to the Science Journal.
Two researchers from Columbia University and the University of Delaware used data collected by volunteers from over 45,000 coastal cleanups to assess the effectiveness of these policies for the first time in a meaningful way.
Using the 2017-2023 window, we were able to note measurable differences in plastic bag waste before and after the passage of laws similar to California’s states and jurisdictions.
“Our research design allowed us to control the share of plastic bag trash with coastline cleanup before and after the implementation of each policy. There are also trends in plastic bag trash from places where there is no policy,” the researcher wrote on Science.org.
Plastic bags generally account for more share of items being cleaned up during the study period, but in areas with plastic bag policies, the increase was “significantly less.”
“The plastic bag policy found that plastic bags decrease by 25-47% as a share of total items collected compared to areas without a policy,” the researchers wrote. The ban was particularly effective in areas where plastic bag waste is already a serious issue.
Researchers also found that after bag policy was introduced, results became more pronounced over time, indicating that prohibitions become more effective with age.
River plastic bags. (Getty Images)
The researchers also found no evidence of rebound, no evidence of a “spillover effect” in the proportion of cleaned bags being reverted to pre-van figures.
And the results aren’t just limited to coastal states like California. Bag policies appear to be equally effective along the river, and could have a greater impact on the lake.
And the decline in these loose paper bags may be good news for local animal populations too. Researchers found a “inaccurate” 30-37% reduction in local animal entanglements with plastic bag policies.
“Our findings show that plastic bag policies are widely restricted to previously prevalent local restrictions, but we do not rule out that,” the researchers concluded.
If these results apply to a wider scale, bans on plastic bags or expanding fees could continue to reduce plastic bag waste and prevent wildlife from getting caught up in human trash.
“In the absence of major policy changes, plastic fragments entering the water remain an important global issue.”
Volunteers will clean the beach during the 2021 International Coast Cleanup, which took place on September 18, 2021 in Santa Monica, California. (Getty Images of Ocean Conservancy)
California was ahead of the curve with a single-use plastic bag ban, but the loophole that allows stores to sell thick, “reusable” bags for $.10 has been equipped with overall effectiveness and could lead to more plastic waste.
Areas with complete and complete bans have achieved far better results, the researchers said.
It all changes to 2026 when California closes that loophole and shoppers have to pay for the paper, run items by hand, or bring reusable bags to the store.
Ocean Conservancy is one of hundreds of groups that have helped them participate in these coastal cleanups and collect data from such studies.
Anjabrandon, the organization’s director of plastic policy, described the plastic bag as “a threat to wildlife and among the most common pollutants in beaches and waterways.” She said certain policies are required to specifically target this type of waste.
“Past marine reserve analysis shows that the ban is effective, but this peer-reviewed study confirms it loudly,” she said.
To read the entire study, click here.
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