04.26.07
Ban Plastic Bags?
Massachusetts prides itself on being progressive. It remains the only one of the 50 states to permit same-sex marriages, is seeking to implement universal health insurance, and was the first in the nation to establish a system for awarding and trading greenhouse gas emissions credits. While this willingness to lead is laudable, even if one does not always agree with the goals, I fear that trailblazing legislation is also prone to misstep.
In today’s Globe we read, “The Boston City Council wants to ban the use of plastic shopping bags at supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores in the city, saying the ubiquitous bags are a hazard to the environment and a maddening blight of the landscape.” To borrow an analogy from the president of the Massachusetts Food Association, this proposed legislation is like attempting to swat a fly with a sledgehammer. Not only are you likely to wreak a lot of unintended damage, but you most likely won’t even kill the fly!
The most likely outcome of such legislation would be a return to paper bags. Such a change might reduce the litter resulting from carelessly discarded bags. A plastic bag can snag in the branches of a tree, while paper bags will merely disintegrate into a soggy mess in the gutter. Plastic is certainly more noxious when it ends up in the harbor. Yet would this change truly improve the environment?
The production of paper bags requires more energy and generates more pollution than plastic. Wood pulp may be a renewable resource, but that is small comfort to environmentalists attempting to limit the clear-cutting of our forests. Both types of bags are recyclable — yet when discarded, paper bags take up greater space in the landfill.
Will this legislation encourage the citizens of Boston to adopt the environmentally conscious choice of reusable bags? Or will people continue their wasteful habits with only minor modifications? Most troublesome to me, I fear this could ultimately hamper the development of superior alternatives such as biodegradable plastics. As I pull shreds of plastic (and shards of glass) out of my garden I wholeheartedly sympathize with the desire of the Councillors to reduce litter. Nonetheless, I fear that poorly conceived legislation may be worse than none.
Household hint: plastic grocery bags can be used several times before they develop serious tears. Bring a “bag of bags” to the supermarket and you’ll generate less waste.
David said,
April 27, 2007 at 9:51 am
Or buy cloth bags - they are sturdier, can carry more groceries per bag, look better, and last for years.
Sean said,
May 1, 2007 at 1:59 am
Banning shopping bags in Ireland was a big hit I believe.