Global bans on single‑use plastic bags and US policy options

• More than 60 countries have either banned or taxed single‑use plastic bags to curb plastic pollution.
• Notable examples include Australia, the United Kingdom, China, Bangladesh, and roughly 15 African nations.
• Kenya enforces its ban extremely strictly; possession of a plastic bag can lead to imprisonment.

The United States: Legislative attempts and obstacles

• The United States remains the only major economy without a nationwide ban on disposable plastic bags.
• California is the sole state that has successfully enacted a statewide ban.
• Massachusetts has repeatedly tried to pass a ban but has been blocked repeatedly by industry lobbying.

Industry lobbying and its impact

• The plastic‑bag industry operates through a front organization called the American Progressive Plastic Bag Alliance, which is composed of plastic‑bag manufacturers that lobby against any measures that could reduce bag sales.
• In Florida and Arizona, legislation has been passed that prohibits counties from restricting the availability of plastic bags, effectively pre‑empting local bans.
• Campaign‑finance records from California reveal that plastic‑bag manufacturers spent more than $6 million to oppose the state’s bag‑ban legislation.

Economic incentives as an alternative strategy

• Rather than an outright ban, a fee‑based approach leverages market mechanisms.
• Ireland introduced a €0.15 charge per plastic bag. After implementation, bag usage fell 96 %, dropping from 328 bags per person to 14 bags per person, and associated plastic‑pollution levels declined accordingly.

Potential path forward for the United States

• Given the success of fee‑based policies in other nations, a levy on single‑use plastic bags could provide a pragmatic, market‑driven solution for reducing plastic‑bag consumption in the United States.