Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed a bill into law banning thick, reusable plastic bags from being used at grocery stores, restaurants, and retail outlets, The Oregonian reported.
State Sen. Janeen Sollman, a Democrat from Hillsboro and the bill's chief sponsor, explained that "wasteful disposable plastics like thick plastic checkout bags aren't just annoying for consumers, they add unnecessary costs to our Oregon businesses, and are contributing to an ever increasing pile of plastic trash that is harming the environment and public health."
Plastic bags are, indeed, harmful to the environment. After typically being used just once, they end up in landfills, where they can take up to 1,000 years to break down. The intention behind the thicker reusable bags was to steer consumers toward using them multiple times, thus eliminating more single-use plastic bags, but few people reuse them.
Critics of plastic bag bans are concerned that they may lead to an increase in the purchase and usage of other types of plastic bags, but studies have shown that bans are effective in cutting down the overall usage of plastic bags.
The manufacturing of plastic bags contributes to planet-warming pollution, so demand for them increases the problem that bans are trying to solve. When plastic bags are not disposed of properly, they often end up in bodies of water or caught in tree branches, posing a threat to wildlife and causing additional harm to the environment.
The Ocean Conservancy reported that plastic bags are the most common form of single-use plastics found by International Coastal Cleanup volunteers. In addition to the plastic bags harming marine life, microplastics that result from the bags breaking down can be ingested by marine animals, compounding the threat.
The Oregon ban is part of efforts by individual states to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags. California has banned all plastic grocery bags to encourage the use of paper bags or reusable bags. Twelve states have some form of statewide ban on plastic bags. Charging money for them is one deterrent that has reduced usage in the United Kingdom.
The growing awareness of the negative effects of plastic bags on ecosystems has inspired individuals and governments to take action. By opting for reusable bags when we shop and helping spread the word about the harm single-use plastic bags bring to the environment, we can be part of the solution.
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