Emma Warren

English 1101

April 14, 2020

Rickard

Should Plastic Bags be Banned?

The usage of plastic bags is so widely accepted. So many supermarkets, clothing

stores, and other corporations carry plastic bags within their facilities. When we go

grocery shopping, we take as many plastic bags as we need, sometimes double-

bagging some of our products, and not even taking another thought about it. Although

there are a few convenient benefits to using plastic bags, I think most people don’t

recognize the damage that they do to the world. The advantages of banning plastic

bags and replacing them with alternative, reusable bags would be very beneficial to our

world, the mindset and motivation people have, and the overall knowledge and

awareness of the detrimental effects plastic bags have on our earth.

In an article written by Marc Basnight titled, “Plastic Bags Are a Huge Waste

Problem and Should Be Banned,” the author expresses the importance of banning

plastic bags. He provides his beliefs on the negatives that plastic bags have on the

world including speaking about an area in the Pacific Ocean called “The Great Pacific

Garbage Patch” which consists of “billion upon billions of pieces of plastic,” (Basnight).

The author explains that when plastic bags are released into the ocean, these bags are

broken up in pieces which adds to this garbage patch. These plastic bags consist of

complex carbons and transitional metal,” which could possibly be harmful to sea life,

(Basnight). The author also describes the suggestion that when fish consume these
pieces of plastic bags, they now contain harmful contents that could be detrimental to

those who eat seafood as well.

Laura McCrystal wrote an article explaining how Philadelphia successfully

banned the production and usage of plastic bags that is titled, “Philadelphia took a step

toward banning plastic bags -- and dropped a proposed fee for paper bags.” McCrystal

talks within her article about the passing of the bill in the state of Philadelphia that

declares the banning of plastic bags. The bill’s sponsor is a councilman named Mark

Squilla. He proposed the bill that states, “The regulations would apply to retail

establishments, including supermarkets, convenience stores, clothing and department

stores, dollar stores, restaurants, food trucks, farmers' markets, and delivery services.”

(McCrystal). A member of the West Chester Borough Council named Donald Braceland

who voted in favor of the banning of plastic bags stated that he voted simply because

“‘It’s the right thing to do’” (McCrystal). This article provides an accurate representation

of a state that successfully passed the banning of plastic bags and is currently striving

to prevent further littering within their state. Philadelphia serves as a role model to other

states and provides motivation for others to follow in their footsteps of banning plastic

bags.

In the article titled, “Plastic Bag Bans Do Not Protect the Environment,” the

author, Todd Myers, expresses his counter argument on the banning of plastic bags. He

suggests that plastic bags are not to blame for the mass littering that the world goes

through but he agrees that plastic bags do have an impact on our earth. Myers explains

the increase in energy usage that banning plastic bags would have. He also speaks

about how plastic bags are the most convenient type of bag. However, in the article
written by Marc Basnight, the author expresses the advantages of using more

environmentally-friendly bag products, stating that they, “are cheap to buy, easy to

carry, and sturdy. They hold plenty of groceries, and are built to hold everything from a

carton of eggs to nuts and bolts and tools. By making reusable bags your habit, those of

us that live here can show the rest of America that it is not difficult to use reusable

bags.” (Basnight). Through the usage of reusable bags, we are demonstrating a more

sustainable lifestyle.

The article written by Bjorn Lomborg titled, “Polluters and Scapegoats: Banning

plastic bags won't save the planet. Real progress will have to extend well beyond empty

gestures,” also expresses the importance of saving the planet, but suggests that plastic

bags aren’t the way to do it. The author describes the advantages that plastics provide.

He says how plastic bags are reused into energy after they are disposed of properly,

which is great! Lomborg speaks on the importance of improving our waste

management, which I agree is a huge issue. However, energy can only be produced

from plastic bags if they are disposed of properly, which in most cases, are not. Only

1% of plastic bags are recycled. This means that they are not being used to their full

potential, cannot be used as energy, and ultimately end up in either landfills or bodies of

water.

Lastly, an article written by Stiv Wilson titled, “Plastic Bag Bans Protect the

Environment,” describes the underlying effects that plastic bags cause and the

improvement that banning them would have on the world. Wilson was a traveling surfer

who expressed his strong opinion on the need to clean our oceans and beaches. Like I

said earlier, the cycle of plastics is dangerous. Wilson reiterates this by saying, “The
more we produce, consume, and recycle plastics, the more plastic will come into the

world and accumulate in landfills, on land, in rivers, and the sea. Plastics at sea

concentrate incredibly dangerous chemicals, fish eat plastic, and we eat fish.” (Wilson).

Wilson talks about common misconceptions about journalists who argue that the media

exaggerates the amount of plastic in the ocean. Wilson states that, “The largest

concentration of plastics ever recorded is 580,000 plastic particles [each weighing 0.15

gram] per square kilometer which is equal to 87 kilograms (or roughly 191 pounds),”

which is, “only for the plastic that floats,” and says that, “If you talk to scientists about

the issue casually, they tend to believe that the density of plastic in the ocean is much

higher than their data suggests and that much more research is needed to accurately

portray how much plastic is in the ocean, if that's even possible.” (Wilson).

Although there are people that may be convincing in saying plastic bag bans

won’t help the environment, the advantages that they hold outweigh the negatives. The

banning would improve the lives of sea animals while improving the quality of our

oceans, beaches and more. Although plastic bags are convenient, the replacement of

reusable bags will allow for a whole new stream of employment. If one person

expresses the importance of plastic bag usage, more and more people will become

aware of the issue and want to know more. Although change can be scary, we would

find ways to get used to this aspect of change within our everyday lives. I wish to see

people teach, learn, and carry out the spread of knowledge of plastic bag banning.

Basnight, Marc. "Plastic Bags Are a Huge Waste Problem and Should Be Banned."
Garbage and Recycling, edited by Margaret Haerens, Greenhaven Press, 2012.
Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-
com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EJ3010301226/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=0ef7421a. Accessed 15 Apr. 2020. Originally published as
"Should the Plastic Bag Ban Be Extended to All Outer Banks Businesses?" Island Free
Press, 10 June 2010.

"Philadelphia took a step toward banning plastic bags -- and dropped a proposed fee for
paper bags." Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia, PA], 23 Oct. 2019, p. NA. Gale In
Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-
com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/A603470377/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=06ef162b. Accessed 15 Apr. 2020.

Myers, Todd. "Plastic Bag Bans Do Not Protect the Environment." The Environment,
edited by Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In
Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-
com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EJ3010132412/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=f3d09beb. Accessed 15 Apr. 2020. Originally published as
"Plastic Bag Bans: Another Feel-Good Eco-Fad," Real Clear Science, 31 July 2012.

Lomborg, Bjorn. "Polluters and Scapegoats: Banning plastic bags won't save the planet.
Real progress will have to extend well beyond empty gestures." Hoover Digest, no. 4,
2019, p. 76+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-
com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/A613134712/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=f24f8d76. Accessed 15 Apr. 2020.

Wilson, Stiv. "Plastic Bag Bans Protect the Environment." The Environment, edited by
Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context:
Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-
com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EJ3010132411/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=9aa5b1c5. Accessed 15 Apr. 2020. Originally published
as "In Defense of Plastic Bag Bans," GreenBiz.com, 28 Dec. 2011.