The other side: plastic bag bans and taxes do not keep plastic litter out of landfills

Information provided by Hilex Poly, an American manufacturer and recycler of plastic bags

Studies have shown plastic bag bans and taxes do not keep plastic litter out of landfills. Additionally, the EPA has found that plastic bags make up less than 0.5 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream, which indicates that implementing such legislation is a bit misguided and that plastic retail bags aren’t a real driver in waste. And when people argue that plastic bag bans are the right response, it is important to remember that more than 90 percent of American reuse their plastic bags at least once. Many of these bags are used for a variety of purposes and banning bags will lead to consumers purchasing replacement bags.

It is also important to remember that plastic bags are a 100% recyclable product. When recycled, plastic bags are repurposed into a variety of objects, including playground equipment, outdoor decking, and new plastic bags. Plastic bag recycling is becoming more common every year, with 91 to 93 percent of the U.S. population having access to nearby plastic bag recycling, according to a recent report. Additionally, plastic recycling has continued to grow with over a billion pounds recycled last year, up 55% percent from 2005.

Finally, plastic bags are actually often the greenest product when it comes to containers. Plastic bags require fewer resources to produce and transport than common alternatives like paper, cotton, or plastic reusable bags and are mostly made here in America from natural gas refining byproducts.