Meta-team combine the collaborative work here.
Literature Review Synthesis
Master: Existing programs
- Summary Table / Comparison
Cases reported as of Sunday, 10/24
Location | Year | Summary of program type | Brief Results | Relevance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Malibu | 2008/2009 | Banning of single use plastic bags | ? | Med |
San Francisco | 2007 | Single use bag ban / still tweaking rules. 5c tax on paper bags? | 50% reduction in bag litter, but this is contested, still tweaking rules. | Med |
Palo Alto | 2009 | Ban on plastic bags in grocery stores. | ? | Med |
Fairfax | ||||
San Jose | 2010 | Ban on single use paper and plastic, unless paper is 40% recycled. Even recyc. must be purchased for 10c, going up to 25c in 2 years. | N/A | Med
|
L.A | ||||
Santa Clara County | prop. 2011 |
| ||
Telluride, CO | 2011 | Prohibits take out grocery bags, but not in store bulk and meat bags. | N/A | Med
|
Maui | 2011 | Plastic bag ban. Currently voluntary. | N/A | Med/Hi |
Brownsville, Texas | 2011 | Plastic Bag Ban/Tax. 1$ surcharge on transactions involving plastic bags. | N/A | High |
American Samoa | 2011 | Plastic bags illegal. Biodegradable and compostable plastic are OK. | N/A | Low/Med |
Westport, CT | 2009 | Plastic bag ban. $150 fines for non-compliance of stores. Stores must supply alternate bags, including recyclable paper. | 70% increase in reusable bags. | Med |
Bethel, AK | 2010 | ? | Med-Hi | |
Edmonds, WA | 2009 | Ban on plastic bags - all retail establishments | ||
Outer banks, NC | 2009 | Ban on plastic bags for large retail chains / big-box. | ? | Low |
Baltimore, MD | 2010 | Bag reduction program. Reusable bags of minimum thickness. Reminder signs. | Botched immplementation has led to delays. Ban went into effect, but city registry wasn't properly set up to enforce. | Low |
Chicago, IL | 2010 | Recycling of bags at stores. City collects weights and costs to enforce compliance. | ? | Low |
Washington, DC | 2010 | 5 cent bag fee on paper AND plastic. | Single bag use dropped from 22 million to 3m. | Low |
NW Territories, Canada | 2010 | 25c fee on bags. Regional distribution of reusable bags, 2 per household. | ||
China | 2008 | Ban on manufacture of ultra thin plastic bags, ban on free giveaway of take-away bags, restaurants excluded. | One estimate only 15% compliance; 66% reduction, greater in foreign-owned firms than Chinese-owned. | Low |
Ireland | 2001? | E$0.15 tax on plastic bags. | 90% reduction in plastic bag use. | |
Mexico City, MX | 2009 | Bans business from giving out non-biodegradable bags. Stiff legal fines and jail time. | ? | Low |
Taiwan | ||||
South Africa | ||||
Australia | ||||
Italy | ||||
Denmark |
| |||
Baltimore, MD |
|
Master: Efficacy of existing programs
Perhaps this can be combined with the table above? We have limited information, since many of the existing programs are just going into effect or have not yet gone into effect.
Master: Existing Research (Technical)
Environmental Justice Issues
The environmental justice movement was begun in recognition of the fact that: "Environmental regulations have not uniformly benefited all members of society. People of color (African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans) are disproportionately harmed by industrial toxins on their jobs and in their neighborhoods. These groups must contend with dirty air and drinking water- the byproducts of municipal landfills, incinerators, polluting industries, and hazardous waste treatment storage, and disposal facilities."[1] Environmental justice issues also cross international borders. Many cheap products we buy in the United States are manufactured in countries that do not have stringent, or any, environmental regulations. Thus, the populations of those exporting countries are bearing the external costs associated with the production of materials we consume. Most plastic shopping bags are made in countries with lax environmental regulations, like China. [2]
Human Health Effects
- Plastic bags can contain toxic metals (cadmium and lead) which can leach out and contaminate food [3]
- Plastic bags improperly disposed of clog drains, which can be the cause of floodin, which leads to water borne diseases[3]
- When disposed of in the soil, plastic bags can prevent the recharging of ground water aquifers[3]
- "The manufacturing of two plastic bags produces 1.1 kg of atmospheric pollution, which contributes to acid rain and smog" [2]
Environmental Effects
- Plastics are readily combustible and when burned generate black smoke, decomposition, and volatilization products , that get incorporate into the environmental[5]
- The plastic in the bags is environmentally stable, but the additives, their reaction and degradation products in the polymeric material can be released into the environment and into the fluids they contact, products, or food. The additives for plastics, that are released by leaching out and contact transference, have potential ecotoxic effects, mobility under conditions of use, have the possibility to accumulate in the environment or bioaccumulate in organisms,and can generate or release hazardous substances during disposal or under normal conditions.[5]
- Plastic bags photo-degrade in land fills and the toxic particles in the plastic can enter the food chain if animals consume it[6]
- Many animals mistake plastic bags for food, which can kill them. If these animals do die, their body will decompose and the plastic will stay intact, which can potentially kill another animal[7]
- Every year over one million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles are killed from eating or getting tangled up in plastic. There are 46,000 pieces of plastic for every square mile of ocean[8]
Urban Pollution
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Impact on Developing Nations and Disempowered People
Reusable Bags
- Plastic totes may be more eco-friendy to produce than cotton or canvas totes that need large amounts of water and energy to create[9]
- People may not desire reusable bags because of the expense, versus a free "disposable" plastic bag[9]
- Some stores have started to use SmarTote reusable plastic tote bags that have a barcode tracking system that records how many uses the bag gets and enters users in contests for prizes[9]
References
- ↑ http://castle.eiu.edu/~soc1/DeptSyllabiFA08/Hendrickson/EnviroRacism.pdf
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.vipirg.ca/publications/pubs/student_papers/05_ecofootprint_plastic_bags.pdf
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Plastic-bags-become-an-environmental-hazard-25892-3-1.html
- ↑ http://www.ecologycenter.org/factsheets/plastichealtheffects.html
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 This information according to "Combustion Products of Plastics as Indicators for Refuse Burning in the Atmosphere" Berndr T. Simoneit, Patriciam Medeiros, and Borsym Didyk.
- ↑ http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts/
- ↑ http://www.buzzle.com/articles/environmental-pollution-the-harmful-effects-of-plastic-bags.html
- ↑ http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/08/10/plastic_bags/
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 This information according the article "An Inconvenient Bag" by Ellen Gamerman. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition). New York, N.Y.:Sep 26, 2008. p. W.1