NEW REPORT: Analysis finds bag bans effective at reducing plastic waste, litter

Philadelphia a case study as more PA municipalities look at banning single-use plastics

PHILADELPHIA – A new study released Thursday by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group, estimates that, on average, bans on single-use plastic bags can eliminate almost 300 plastic bags per person, per year. Plastic Bag Bans Work: Well-designed single-use plastic bag bans reduce waste and litter, includes case studies that show that bans across the country have reduced plastic bag litter by one-third or more when implemented, and encouraged the use of more sustainable options.

“The bottom line is that plastic bag bans work,” said Faran Savitz, zero waste advocate with the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “Millions of Pennsylvanians have realized that it’s easy to live without plastic bags and get used to bringing a bag from home or skipping a bag when they can. That means less waste and less litter. For our children to inherit a less polluted earth, that’s exactly what we need.”

The report analyzed data from across the country and found that bans in just five locations with a combined population of more than 12 million people (New Jersey, Vermont, Philadelphia PA, Portland OR, and Santa Barbara CA) have cut single-use plastic bag consumption by about 6 billion bags per year – or enough to circle the earth 42 times. 

“This important study illuminates the transformational impact of single-use plastic bag bans like the policy that is now being enforced in Pittsburgh.” Said Pittsburgh City Councilmember Erika Strassburger. “When I introduced the legislation, we had already compiled a large amount of data demonstrating the need for and efficacy of a ban, and this report further solidifies our rationale for pursuing the Pittsburgh ordinance.”

As of 2021, more than 500 cities and towns across 28 states (including 25 in Pennsylvania) had a plastic bag ordinance in effect. Ten states – California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington – had some form of statewide ban on single-use plastic bags as of 2023 and bans in Colorado and Rhode Island went into effect on the first day of 2024.

“Single-use plastic bags are constantly getting caught in our trees, lining our roadways and polluting our waterways where they can harm wildlife,” said Savitz. “It’s exciting to see local leaders in Pennsylvania taking action to reduce the use of this ubiquitous yet unnecessary product. We are seeing real results.”

“We don’t need all of this plastic, we have lived without it before and we can live without it now.”  Said Kathy Cook, Environmental Policy Director with the League of Women Voters Pennsylvania. “Plastic bag bans are one of the easiest things consumers and businesses can do and it has a huge impact for our environment.” 

The report also found that the plastics industry has figured out a way to continue producing and selling wasteful plastic bags in many of the places that have passed a ban. For example, in some places, a loophole allows businesses to replace thin plastic bags with thicker, misleadingly labeled “reusable,” ones at checkout for a fee. Studies of bag bans with these loopholes show that many people only use these thicker bags once, too, before throwing them away. Because of this, in some jurisdictions with bans, the weight of plastic bag waste has increased even though the number of plastic bags distributed has declined. 

“Thicker plastic bags go against the intent of these laws, fortunately, many of Pennsylvania’s municipalities have avoided the misleading practice of allowing thicker bags,” said Savitz. “We are hopeful that others around the nation follow the lead of the Keystone State’s cities and towns in enacting strong policies.”

The report’s authors suggest other policies to make future plastic bag bans as effective as possible. Recommendations include not allowing plastic film bags of any thickness at checkout, charging a fee of at least 10 cents for single-use paper bags and ensuring proper enforcement. 

“As this report shows, Philadelphia can be a model for those looking to tackle the pollution and waste from plastic bags,” said Philadelphia City Councilmember Mark Squilla. “But it also shows the need to strengthen our law to encourage everyone to use reusable bags, the best option for our environment.”

“Nothing we use for just a few minutes should pollute the environment for centuries,” said Savitz. ” Pennsylvania should ban plastic bags so we can reduce plastic waste, cut down on litter and build a cleaner, greener future for everyone.”

To see what environmental impact a plastic bag ban would have on your local community, head to the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center’s “Bag Savings Calculator” tool and input your city or state. To see what communities in Pennsylvania have taken action on single use plastic visit https://environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/resources/single-use-plastic-laws-in-pennsylvania. 

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The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center is dedicated to protecting our air, water, and open spaces. We work to protect the places we love, advance the environmental values we share, and win real results for our environment. For more information, visit www.environmentamerica.org/pennsylvania/center.

Frontier Group provides information and ideas to build a healthier, more sustainable America. We focus on problems that arise from our nation’s material and technological wealth – the problems of abundance. We deliver timely research and analysis that is accessible to the public, applying insights gleaned from diverse fields of knowledge to arrive at new paths forward. For more information about Frontier Group, please visit www.Frontiergroup.org.