A pound of cotton requires more than 5,000 gallons of water on average, a thirst far greater than that of any vegetable and even most meats. In fact, every region of the U.S. has a different energy mix. Different studies say different things, but the point is clear: even though paper bags are much better for the environment in the disposal stage, the rest of the supply chain is riddled with problems. Thats leading to a split in the anti-bag movement. And so my recommendation is to use as few bags as you can reuse the ones that you do purchase and purchase your bags, make it an active decision. ETHAN: Why does all that matter? Then, that ethylene can be sent to a new plant where theyll add a catalyst which initiates a chemical reaction and forms our high-density polyethylene. They say Hanukkah gets eight nights as if its special, but with Christmas, you get six whole months! Some are funded by plastic industry groups, like the ironically named American Progressive Bag Alliance. And just a few weeks ago, California took it one step further, banning not just single-use plastic bags at checkout, but those smaller produce bags as well. So I often tell people, if theyre choosing a bag, you want to choose a bag that you are going to reuse that could be a thin bag, then plastic bag, or it could be a nylon bag, which is technically still plastic, but is a woven plastic thats fairly lightweight, and thus, perhaps not going to have the same environmental impact as a heavier plastic or a cloth bag. But for UPROSE, that concern is outweighed by the negative impacts of plastic bags on disadvantaged communities. bags, or maybe even stop keeping bags at the register at all. Have a listen. In fact, eight states have gone so far as to ban single-use plastic bags, and over 200 counties and municipalities have enacted ordinances either imposing a fee on plastic bags or. Saying go to your room doesnt actually solve anything, but hey, its easier than having an intelligent conversation with a six-year-old. The reasons for papers higher carbon footprint are complex, but can mostly be understood as stemming from the fact that paper bags are much thicker than plastic bags. All donations doubled for a limited time. How do you tackle microplastics? [slam the wrong buzz several times, then rewind] Okay, okay cracker? The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. Talk about consistency! There was a 72 percent drop in grocery bag litter in the state just one year after it was fully implemented. In Staten Island, perhaps? Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. I asked Dr. Taylor how we can account for the cost of alternatives when we create policies to address plastic bags. Waste in particular, plastic packaging, how it is used, how it gets discarded. And paper bags, when you compare them to plastic bags, they are environmentally more environmentally friendly in some ways, but in other ways, theyre less environmentally friendly. I collected data from supermarkets, on the types of bags people were using at checkout, both before and after the policy went into effect. This material which is widely used worldwide has been an issue for years now and these readings gives some explanation on why. How do we make polyethylene? Not So Fast Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. Cracker plants release air pollutants such as benzene which is linked to cancer and childhood leukemia, toluene which is linked to birth defects and brain, liver, and kidney problems, formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen, and particulate matter which is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and lung and bladder cancer. (The crunchy rich should already have more than enough tote bags from PBS and Whole Foods.). Facebook, Follow us on (The crunchy rich should already have more than enough tote bags from PBS and Whole Foods.). However, when you just have a ban, and you dont consider the substitutes, thats when we see the largest unintended consequences. Often, the problem shifts. First, we transport our fossil fuels to a type of petrochemical plant called a cracker. Cracker? Only 2.4 percent of the worlds cropland is planted with cotton, yet it accounts for 24 percent of the global market for insecticides and 11 percent for pesticides, the World Wildlife Fund reports. Last month, the New York City Council passed a 5-cent-per-bag fee on single-use bags handed out by most retailers. In the last couple weeks, I believe around five of our team members got sick, so weve been struggling a little bit! But if communicated to the public well, I think its an interesting idea, and Id be curious to see if a similar approach could work with bags. Yes, this was a paper that was interested in how sometimes we dont always think about how people respond to policies, theyre sort of the obvious response. Thats right, its always the one you most suspect. The larger takeaway is that no bag is free of environmental impact, whether thats contributing to climate change, ocean pollution, water scarcity, or pesticide use. A single mom, or someone working two jobs, is more likely to have to do her shopping in a rush on the way home from work than to go out specifically with a tote bag in hand. [knock on door, door creaks open, then Laszlo starts coughing uncontrollably]. ETHAN: And the list of policy approaches goes on and on. A lot of the waste ends up in our communities, says Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE, an environmental and social justice-oriented community organization in Brooklyn. Lets start with paper: the only kind of bag that is, in the most literal tense, tearible. ETHAN: That new ban was signed into law on September 30, and the fact that it was in the news goes to show that even with all the other things going on in the world, people are paying attention to this issue. What if they used solar or wind? Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags annually, which is equivalent to 14 million trees. ETHAN: I think this paper that you did goes to a larger conversation about plastic because we do often zero in on specific products, will complain about straws or about bags or about bottles. The adverse impacts of plastic bags are undeniable: When theyre not piling up in landfills, theyre blocking storm drains, littering streets, getting stuck in trees, and contaminating oceans, where fish, seabirds, and other marine animals eat them or get tangled up in them. A lot of the waste ends up in our communities, says Elizabeth Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE, an environmental and social justice-oriented community organization in Brooklyn. As far as I know, nobody has done the definitive analysis, which would necessarily need to have a large number of caveats and qualifications. And cotton, unlike paper, is not currently recycled in most places. Put all that together, and National Geographic estimates that a paper bag would need to be used anywhere from 3 to 43 times in order to neutralize its environmental impact as compared to plastic. There are so very many variables. And these different dimensions? Businesses may be reluctant to engage in default choice modification because customers might not realize the law and think theyre just getting bad service. ETHAN: Welcome to episode 106 of The Sweaty Penguin: Antarcticas Hottest Podcast. Like blueberries or trips to the bathroom, not all plastics are created equal, and single-use plastic bags are typically made from a material called high-density polyethylene. The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. Are Plastic Bag Bans a Solution? Rather than automatically using a bag, just ask the customer for their bags, or maybe even stop keeping bags at the register at all. As the Australian study noted, a cotton bag has major environmental impacts of its own. Nakuru, Kenya In the open-air Wakulima Market thin plastic shopping bags have disappeared, banished by Kenya's national bag ban. In other words, rather than emitting carbon, they would take carbon out of the atmosphere. And if not, then maybe totes arent the best alternative. Produce sellers in this busy agricultural hub 95 miles. ETHAN: And that wraps up episode 106 of The Sweaty Penguin. A single mom, or someone working two jobs, is more likely to have to do her shopping in a rush on the way home from work than to go out specifically with a tote bag in hand. (Cindy) Works Cited. ITS COMPOSTABLE! Better alternatives are available 10. Those are the kinds of topics that I focus on in my research. Plastic bags not only destroy the physical infrastructure, she says, referring to the way they clog up storm drains and other systems, they contribute to emissions. And she points out that marine plastic pollution is a threat to low-income people who fish for their dinner: So many frontline communities depend on food coming from the ocean. Thats why her group supported New York Citys bag fee even though its more of a burden on lower-income citizens. And the most common substitute, paper bags, may be just as bad or worse, depending on the environmental problem youre most concerned about. Aw, dammit, I was so close! For more than 250 years, mathematicians have wondered if the Euler equations might sometimes fail to describe a fluids flow. This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Not So Fast." Unlike reusable fabric bags, plastic bags can take lifetimes to biodegrade.Over that time, their light weight allows them to be carried long distances, causing environmental havoc along the way. Harmful to human health 6. TAYLOR: Yes. NADJA: After much deliberation, Nandor and I have invited a new resident into the house. A substantial shift to more durable bags would deliver environmental gains through reductions in greenhouse gases, energy and water use, resource depletion and litter, the study concluded. What do they think this is, a Ritz quick scheme? PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. If they were going to use a slur for white people, why not name it Karen or Wonderbread? Thicker, reusable bags are still available for purchase for 10 cents. New York's ban will take effect in 2020 but will apply to single-use plastic bags you can get at grocery stores or retailers. AD READER: Is it 12:01am on November 1st? If a plastic bag is reused in the home as the garbage bag in a bathroom waste bin, does that reduce its footprint by eliminating the need for another small plastic garbage bag? What if instead of making the plastic from fossil fuels, we made it out of plants? So if you have a policy in your own city, but the next city over doesnt, and you decide to shop in then next city over to avoid the policy. Lets start with paper: the only kind of bag that is, in the most literal tense, tearible. Businesses may be reluctant to engage in default choice modification because customers might not realize the law and think theyre just getting bad service. I also looked at paper bags as well. Or do state governments get to say, when local governments do implement the policies, theres a concern that it causes a patchwork of policies that might harm businesses, confused customers. So some of my recent research was looking at to what extent do we actually see border shopping occur? the more right . Thats right, its always the one you most suspect. Thats right, the solution to single use plastic isnt bans, its awkwardness! And as you mentioned, tote bags can be actually more harmful. Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. Throwing This Out Here: Plastic Bags Are Amazing and You Should Appreciate Them More, Trash Is Ugly, But Recycling Is Downright Beautiful. Cause of environmental pollution 2. Not So Fast Advocates for plastic bag bans often neglect to ask what will replace plastic bags and what the environmental impact of that replacement will be. ETHAN: When environmentalists talk about plastic bags though, its often not about the production process, but rather what happens after we throw them out. Whos building these things, Triscuit? A lovely tote made from single use plastic bags. I took a look at a 2017 Congressional Report which found the petrochemical industry was, at the time, pursuing 48 new plastics-related projects in the Houston area. But if communicated to the public well, I think its an interesting idea, and Id be curious to see if a similar approach could work with bags. In some cases, people start buying more plastic trash bags now that they cant use their grocery bags to store trash. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Ad Choices, Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? I happen to have a peer-reviewed study that suggests otherwise. We use [drumroll] oil and gas! Thats the percentage the Massachusetts Sierra Club has advocated for at the state level and when lobbying for municipal bag rules. How many plastic bags are replaced by one cotton tote bag? If your chief concern is climate change, things get even muddier. Like cigarettes, plastic bags have recently gone from a tolerated nuisance to a widely despised and discouraged vice. Its right up there with Taylor Swifts jet, Beyond Burgers, and figuring out which soup is best for throwing at artwork. On the other hand, were using thicker bags, which might be emitting more carbon and pollution into the atmosphere. Banning Plastic Bags Is Great for the World, Right? On The Pros and Cons of Banning Plastic Bags by John Stossel So paper and plastic as litter paper, you know, decomposes, it breaks down, its not as harmful to the environment, if it if its litter.

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