Business & Tech

Industry Spokesperson Say Plastic Bag Ban Not Backed by Science

Donna Dempsey of the American Progressive Bag Alliance offers a rebuttal to a proposed ban on plastic bags at point of sale locations in the Bay State.

 

Early in May we posted an article about Rep. Lori Ehrlich's proposed legislation to ban plastic bags from point of sale locations in Massachusetts stores. The legislation would, however, exclude plastic bags that meet the highest industry standards for biodegradability and compostability.

We heard from several industry sources shortly thereafter and, from the American Progressive Bag Alliance, found a spokesperson who would go on the record with a counterpoint argument.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Below is a question and answer interview with Donna Dempsey of the American Progressive Bag Alliance. Above is a link to the original article about the representaitve's bill. In addition, posted it at the very bottom of this page.

 

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

1. The first question is open ended. Please feel free to say whatever you care to say about Rep. Lori Ehrlich's bills?

 

The premise behind bag bans is very flawed and leads to bad policy.  Today, there is too much junk science being paraded around as fact.  It’s important to understand that bag bans and taxes will not help the environment or reduce litter. 

Plastic retail bags comprise less than 1% of the municipal solid waste stream according to the EPA   and only about 0.5 of the litter stream according to multiple studies.  So banning them has proven to have no meaningful impact on landfill or litter.

Plastic bags are 100% recyclable and produce significantly fewer greenhouse gases than paper or reusable bags during their lifecycle.  Plastic bags are simply the most environmental choice at the checkout counter because of their lower carbon footprint.

Reusable bags are mostly imported from Asia, not recyclable, and can harbor dangerous bacteria.  They also are made from foreign oil…again, carrying significant hidden trade-offs.

Paper bags require more energy to manufacture and recycle.  The production of plastic bags consumes less than 4% of the water needed to make paper bags.  Also, for every seven trucks needed to deliver paper bags, only one truck is needed for the same number of plastic bags.

Possibly even more important than correcting environmental myths is the fact that plastic bag manufacturing also provides 400 jobs for hard working families in Massachusetts, and 30,000 in the US.  So even beyond bad science this policy penalized hardworking families in the manufacturing and recycling industries.

2. What is your response to the representative's statement about plastic bags posing a deadly risk to marine life?

 

This is an example of the junk science being used to promote bag bans. We all care about litter and our environment. But, there haven’t been any mainstream scientific studies that have shown that plastic retail bags specifically pose a major risk.  Mainstream scientific organizations such as NOAA, Oregon State University and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute have recently pointed out that claims like these are overstated.

In fact, According to Oregon State University, claims of the size of plastic debris in the ocean are grossly exaggerated. The study found that if all the oceanic debris and garbage were consolidated into the size of a football field, all plastics would be accounted for by the one inch line.  And when questions about risks to marine life was posed to NOAA they state on the record that, “there are no published studies specifically researching how many marine mammals die each year directly due to marine debris.”

NOAA also highlights that many claims of plastic harming marine life are incidents involving plastic fishing line and equipment. However, it is still incredibly important to recycle and dispose of plastic retail bags properly so that they don’t wind up in the environment.

3. What is your response to the representative's statement that only 1 to 5 percent of plastic bags are recycled?


Unfortunately, this is another example of those in favor of bag bans or taxes using junk science. Plastic bags actually have a waste stream diversion rate of 75 to 90%.  90% of people state they actually go beyond recycling and reuse between 60% and 75% of bags as bin liners.  The recycling rate for plastic bags, sacks and wraps in 2010 was 14.7% (not the 1-5% she states), simply because not many remain to be recycled after so many are reused.

While we respect the opinions of everyone in this conversation, we are asking for an honest debate on the facts.

4. What is your response to the representative's statement about that the bags clog storm drains and exacerbate flooding problems?


We believe that local littering laws should be enforced as any littered item can be a problem, no matter what it is. That said, the representative simply has not provided any study or data that back up this claim.  With plastic bags only accounting for 0.5-2% of litter this statement again seems to be a fabrication to justify a flawed policy.

5. Is there anything else in the article you would like to include or something that was not in the article that you want to tell our readers?


This bill encourages the use of compostable bags, which may seem like a reasonable alternative, but they are far from it.  These types of bags are not recyclable and will contaminate the bag and film recycling stream. Since plastic bags and film are recycled into such materials as backyard decking, playgrounds and pipes, compostable bags cannot be used in their manufacturing as they will spoil the end product.

Also, compostable bags don’t degrade outside of a compost environment, so her belief that their use will achieve some reduction in marine debris or general litter is simply a flawed conclusion.

Promoting plastic bag recycling is the best approach to reduce waste and benefit the environment. Recycling of plastic bags has doubled in the past nine years, and in 2010 more than 900 million pounds of post-consumer plastic bags, sacks and wraps were recycled. Solving the larger litter problem won’t come from banning plastic bags. The solution is to create new opportunities for recycling all plastics.

 

May 9 article on rep. Ehrlich's proposed bill:

Plastic carry-out bags have been banned in cities and counties but never a state. Massachusetts could be the first — though legislation is pending elsewhere.

State Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Swampscott, is the lead sponsor for the plastic pollution reduction proposal, joined by 28 other legislators. It aims to curb storm-drain clogging and stem the tide of ocean pollution and its deadly effect on marine life, the representative said.

Late last month it got a favorable recommendation the first day it was heard and is now before the House Ways and Means Committee.

"Plastic bags are deadly to the wildlife that mistake them for food or become entangled," the state representative said. "Turtles, whales, seals, birds, and fish suffer a painful death as the plastic fills their stomachs, wraps around their intestines, or chokes them to death. Some of these animals are already threatened due to issues such as over fishing or habitat loss."

The petition includes an exception for plastic bags if they meet the highest industry standards for biodegradability and compostability.

The representative said the recycling of standard plastic bags has failed because it isn't economically viable and only a portion of the plastic can be recycled.

She said only 1-5% of plastic bags get recycled while the others end up in waters and landfills.

"Like urban tumbleweeds, plastic bags end up airborne in trees, clogging storm drains and polluting our oceans," the representative said. "Every time we utilize a plastic bag we are contributing to leaving our planet worse for the generations that will follow us. This legislation will put Massachusetts on the map as a beacon for responsible consumer behavior and environmental stewardship."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here