A ban on single-use plastic shopping bags in Washington state has unexpectedly resulted in an increase in the state's total plastic bag usage.
A recent report by researchers at Washington State University on the effects of the 2021 ban indicates that while the number of plastic bags distributed to consumers decreased by 50% by 2022, the total weight of plastic bags used actually increased by 17% because the regulation allows retailers to sell thicker reusable plastic bags.
Furthermore, the 8-cent charge per bag is insufficient to cover the cost of purchasing existing paper bags or offset the cost of thicker plastic bags. Researchers stated that the unit price of paper bags for retailers is approximately 16 cents, while the unit price of thicker plastic bags varies widely, ranging from a minimum of 10 cents to a maximum of 39 cents.
A report from Washington State University states, "Legislative mandates for the use of thicker reusable plastic bags may not be effective in reducing environmental impact. This is because these bags are often not reused, and even when they are, the frequency is far from enough to offset the higher volume of plastic waste and garbage generated, as well as the additional costs incurred over their entire life cycle."
The study's data sources include surveys of retailers and recycling management agencies, official industry data, and product barcode scanning records. Researchers recommend that retailers be allowed to reissue single-use plastic bags to reduce overall plastic use; simultaneously, the state government should increase the cost of bags for consumers to incentivize people to bring their own.
A spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Ecology told Axios that while the study is valuable, the data provided is currently insufficient to drive revisions to state legislation.
