Cloth bags are actually way worse for the environment than plastic ones
Plastic bags may actually have one thing going for them.
Sure, they fill landfills and accumulate into giant plastic islands in the ocean. That's why New York became the second state to ban them altogether last month. But a recent study shows that a similar ban in California actually ended up pushing plastic waste higher — and that the alternatives to plastic may not be so great either, NPR reports.
After California's cities and counties banned plastic bags ahead of a statewide ban in 2016, University of Sydney economist Rebecca Taylor found they did reduce 40 million pounds of plastic waste every year. Yet in the months after the statewide ban began, Taylor's study also found that purchases of small, four-gallon plastic garbage bags — which use more plastic than single-use options — more than doubled. That's likely because people needed something to replace the plastic shopping bags they once reused to pick up dog poop or line small garbage cans around their house, NPR says.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In another blow to the environmentally conscious, NPR also compiled several studies that show paper bags are worse for the planet than plastic. Sure, they can be recycled and reused, but a ton of water, chemicals, and fuel are used to produce them. Even worse, one study from the Danish government found you'd have to use an organic cloth bag 20,000 times for it to be a better environmental choice than plastic. So to be the best tree hugger you can, use a reusable polyester or plastic bag over and over, the Danish study recommends. Read more about the unintended consequences of bag bans at NPR.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Sudan's forgotten pyramids
Under the Radar Brutal civil war and widespread looting threatens African nation's ancient heritage
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Being more nuanced will not be easy for public health agencies'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Where did Democratic voters go?
Voter turnout dropped sharply for Democrats in 2024
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
At least 95 dead in Spain flash floods
Speed Read Torrential rainfall caused the country's worst flooding since 1996
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Cuba roiled by island-wide blackouts, Hurricane Oscar
Speed Read The country's power grid collapsed for the fourth time in just two days
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Wildlife populations drop a 'catastrophic' 73%
Speed Read The decline occurred between 1970 and 2020
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Floridians flee oncoming Hurricane Milton
Speed Read The hurricane is expected to cause widespread damage in the state
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beryl kills 4, knocks out power to 2.7M in Texas
Speed Read Millions now face sweltering heat without air conditioning
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
EPA limits carcinogenic emissions at 218 US plants
Speed Read The new rule aims to reduce cancer-causing air pollution in areas like Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Strong Taiwan earthquake kills 9, injures hundreds
Speed Read At magnitude 7.4, this was Taiwan's biggest earthquake in 25 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published