Dallas Plastic Bag Ban Bad for Many Reasons

More than two dozen cities nationwide have banned plastic grocery bags or have imposed a fee for using them to encourage the use of reusable bags. Dallas City Council member Dwaine Caraway has now asked his colleagues to consider similar action.

But, before any vote, the council should recognize that bag bans have hidden costs.

Two years ago, Los Angeles County implemented a plastic bag ban effective for only the unincorporated areas of the county.

– A survey conducted by the NCPA indicates that consumers who lived in unincorporated areas crossed over into incorporated areas to shop where plastic bags were available. Reports from Austin, Texas, show similar results.

– Additionally, Los Angeles County’s bag ban negatively affected employment at stores inside the ban area. While every store inside the ban area was forced to terminate some of its staff, not a single store outside the ban area dismissed any staff.

– Stores inside the ban area reduced their employment by more than 10 percent. Stores outside the ban area increased their employment by 2.4 percent.

– The cost to taxpayers also will rise as lawsuits are filed challenging these bans.

Contrary to the myth propagated by environmental lobbyists, plastic bags are not a significant source of waste.

– Indeed, the national 2009 Keep America Beautiful study does not even include plastic bags in its top 10 sources of litter.

– A recent study found that plastic grocery bags make up less than 0.6 percent of the overall waste stream.

– Even this small amount will be reduced absent government interference, as plastic bag recycling is taking off.

Plastic bags are a minuscule waste problem, and every city that bans plastic bags costs its shoppers, businesses, the city government and workers with little or no benefit for the environment.

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