The Impact of Plastic Bag Bans and Fees on Reducing Litter: A New Study

In a recent analysis, it was found that regulations at state and local levels regarding plastic bag usage have significantly reduced the prevalence of these items as litter along American coastlines, halving the waste in certain regions.

The study, which assessed more than 600 separate policies and drew from over 45,000 documented shoreline cleanups spanning 2017 to 2023, aimed to determine the effectiveness of bans and charges on bags in reducing litter found by water bodies.

Researchers, including environmental economist Anna Papp and professor Kimberly Oremus from the University of Delaware, discovered a notable decrease in plastic bag litter in areas with regulatory policies—approximately a 25% to 47% reduction over six years compared to regions without such regulations.

Oremus explained, "With access to a database documenting shoreline cleanups, we could analyze the litter composition before and after policy implementation and compare regions with and without plastic bag regulations."

This research offers fresh perspectives on a topic that has attracted significant attention recently due to growing awareness of the detrimental effects of plastic pollution. This is the first thorough evaluation of how plastic bag usage policies influence shoreline litter, utilizing global shoreline cleanup data from the Ocean Conservancy.

Global and Domestic Efforts on Plastic Bag Regulations

Since 2018, numerous countries have implemented laws to curb or ban plastic bag use, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Though there is no nationwide policy in the U.S., many localities have their own restrictions.

States like New York have enforced complete bans, while others like Washington have implemented partial restrictions, forbidding thinner single-use bags but allowing thicker ones, which are often considered reusable by consumers.

In jurisdictions without statewide bans, local entities such as counties have regulated plastic bag use. For example, Arlington County, Virginia, imposes a charge of 5 cents per bag to discourage their purchase. However, 17 states have laws that prevent any local regulation of plastic bag distribution.

Conclusion and Future Research Directions

The findings highlight that while plastic bag policies effectively reduce litter on coastlines, they do not completely eliminate it. The study also suggests that fees might be more successful than outright bans, providing a potential area for further investigation to understand the underlying reasons.