Plastic Bag Bans Around The World:
One way to greatly reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment; is to put bans on one time use plastic bags in grocery stores and retail stores. This is something that has already been accomplished in some places around the world, but there are very few places in the United States that have yet to ban plastic bags.
One reason for this is the very powerful plastics lobby in this country, spreading claims that this will result in increased food prices for the consumers. This is has been easily remedied by charging a small fee of a few cents to customers for paper bags, encouraging them to bring their own reusable bags. Currently U.S. retailers are spending on average $4 billion a year on plastic bags, costs that are passed onto customers. Replace the 60 plastic bags the average family accumulates in only four trips to the grocery store with 5 reusable bags. That's more 1,200 bags per U.S. resident per year, a total of 380 billion across the country!
Countries and cities around the world that have already banned plastic bags:
Australia Loddon Shire, Victoria - Effective December 2005
New South Wales (Australia)
--Huskisson – Adopted November 2003
--Kangaroo Valley – Adopted November 2003
--Mogo – Adopted September 2003
South Australia – Adopted November 2008; Effective May 2009
Bangladesh - Effective March 1, 2002
Bhutan - Adopted June 2006
Botswana - Effective February 1, 2007
Brazil – Effective October 2007
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Effective September 2008
Canada, Manitoba
--Coldwell – Adopted August 12, 2008; Effective October 2008
--Eriksdale – December 9, 2008
--Leaf Rapids - Effective April 2007
Canada, Nova Scotia – Effective fall 2008 (applies to liquor stores only)
Canada,Quebec – Effective 2009 (provincial ban applies to liquor stores only)
-- Huntingdon – Full ban effective January 2008
--Amqui – Full ban effective Spring 2008
China - Effective June 1, 2008
Dahka - Banned plastic bags in January of 2002
Egypt (Red Sea Province) – Effective January 1, 2009
Eritrea – Adopted in 2005
France – Phase out completely by 2010
--Corsica – Full ban effective 1999
--Paris – Full ban adopted January 2007
India - In 2002, the Indian government mandated a thickness rule on plastic bags. All bags must be greater than 20 microns in thickness
--Chandigarh, India – Full ban effective October 2, 2008
--Delhi, India – Full ban effective January 2009
--Himachal Pradesh, India - Full ban effective 2003
--Maharashtra, India - Full ban effective August 2005
Italy – Effective 2010. Previously, the country had a plastic bag tax
Kenya – Adopted in June 2007
Macedonia – Effective January 1, 2009
Mexico, Mexico City – Adopted March 2009; Effective August 2009
Mongolia, Ulanbaatar – Adopted June 2008
Papua New Guinea - Effective December 2004
Pakistan, Karachi - Effective December 2008
Rwanda - Adopted in 2005
Spain – Mandatory phase out of 50-percent by end of 2009
Somalia - Adopted in 2005
Somaliland – Effective March 2005
South Africa - Adopted May 9, 2003
Taiwan – Adopted in 2007
Tanzania – Effective October 2006
--Zanzibar – Ban in 2007
Tasmania, Coles Bay - Effective April 2003
Uganda - Effective July 1, 2007
United Kingdom
--Aylsham, England – Effective May 3, 2008
--Banchory, Scotland – Effective January 2008
--Girton, England – Effective January 2008
--Hebden Bridge, England – Effective December 2007
--Henfield, England – Effective May 2008
--Kew, England – Effective July 2008
--Llandysilio, Wales – Effective 2007
--Modbury, England – Effective May 1, 2007
--Overton, England – Effective October 2007
--Selkirk, Scotland – Effective April 4, 2008
--Tisbury, England – Effective January 2008
--Hay-On-Wye, Wales – Effective December 2007 -
United States:
Alaska – As of 1998 30 villages and towns have bans
California
--Fairfax – Passed by voter initiative on November 4, 2008
--Malibu – Adopted May 2008
--Manhattan Beach – Adopted July 1, 2008 – In lawsuit
--Palo Alto - Adopted March 2009; Effective September 2009
--Oakland – Adopted June 29, 2007; Voluntary ban
--San Francisco – Adopted April 2007
Connecticut, Westport – Adopted September 2, 2008; Effective March 19, 2009
District of Columbia - Effective January 2010
Iowa, Marshall County, – Effective April 9, 2009
Hawaii
--Kauai County - Effective 2011
--Maui Count - Effective 2011
--Paia, Maui – Effective 2008
New York, Suffolk County– Adopted in 1988
North Carolina (Outer Banks) – Adopted June 24, 2009; Effective September 1, 2009
Washington
--Edmonds, – Adopted August 2009;Effective August 2010
Plastic Bag Fees
Belgium – Effective July 1, 2007
Canada, Toronto—Effective June 1, 2009
Denmark – Adopted in 1994
Germany - Adopted in 2003
Hong Kong – Adopted April 2009; Effective July 2009
Irish Republic – Effective March 2002,
15-cents per bag
Israel – Adopted June 2008
Italy – Adopted in 1988; Ban to be introduced in 2010
Netherlands – Effective January 2008
Washington, D.C. – Adopted June 16, 2009
Washington, Seattle – Adopted by city council on July 28, 2008 – Defeated by ballot initiative on August 18th
One reason for this is the very powerful plastics lobby in this country, spreading claims that this will result in increased food prices for the consumers. This is has been easily remedied by charging a small fee of a few cents to customers for paper bags, encouraging them to bring their own reusable bags. Currently U.S. retailers are spending on average $4 billion a year on plastic bags, costs that are passed onto customers. Replace the 60 plastic bags the average family accumulates in only four trips to the grocery store with 5 reusable bags. That's more 1,200 bags per U.S. resident per year, a total of 380 billion across the country!
Countries and cities around the world that have already banned plastic bags:
Australia Loddon Shire, Victoria - Effective December 2005
New South Wales (Australia)
--Huskisson – Adopted November 2003
--Kangaroo Valley – Adopted November 2003
--Mogo – Adopted September 2003
South Australia – Adopted November 2008; Effective May 2009
Bangladesh - Effective March 1, 2002
Bhutan - Adopted June 2006
Botswana - Effective February 1, 2007
Brazil – Effective October 2007
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Effective September 2008
Canada, Manitoba
--Coldwell – Adopted August 12, 2008; Effective October 2008
--Eriksdale – December 9, 2008
--Leaf Rapids - Effective April 2007
Canada, Nova Scotia – Effective fall 2008 (applies to liquor stores only)
Canada,Quebec – Effective 2009 (provincial ban applies to liquor stores only)
-- Huntingdon – Full ban effective January 2008
--Amqui – Full ban effective Spring 2008
China - Effective June 1, 2008
Dahka - Banned plastic bags in January of 2002
Egypt (Red Sea Province) – Effective January 1, 2009
Eritrea – Adopted in 2005
France – Phase out completely by 2010
--Corsica – Full ban effective 1999
--Paris – Full ban adopted January 2007
India - In 2002, the Indian government mandated a thickness rule on plastic bags. All bags must be greater than 20 microns in thickness
--Chandigarh, India – Full ban effective October 2, 2008
--Delhi, India – Full ban effective January 2009
--Himachal Pradesh, India - Full ban effective 2003
--Maharashtra, India - Full ban effective August 2005
Italy – Effective 2010. Previously, the country had a plastic bag tax
Kenya – Adopted in June 2007
Macedonia – Effective January 1, 2009
Mexico, Mexico City – Adopted March 2009; Effective August 2009
Mongolia, Ulanbaatar – Adopted June 2008
Papua New Guinea - Effective December 2004
Pakistan, Karachi - Effective December 2008
Rwanda - Adopted in 2005
Spain – Mandatory phase out of 50-percent by end of 2009
Somalia - Adopted in 2005
Somaliland – Effective March 2005
South Africa - Adopted May 9, 2003
Taiwan – Adopted in 2007
Tanzania – Effective October 2006
--Zanzibar – Ban in 2007
Tasmania, Coles Bay - Effective April 2003
Uganda - Effective July 1, 2007
United Kingdom
--Aylsham, England – Effective May 3, 2008
--Banchory, Scotland – Effective January 2008
--Girton, England – Effective January 2008
--Hebden Bridge, England – Effective December 2007
--Henfield, England – Effective May 2008
--Kew, England – Effective July 2008
--Llandysilio, Wales – Effective 2007
--Modbury, England – Effective May 1, 2007
--Overton, England – Effective October 2007
--Selkirk, Scotland – Effective April 4, 2008
--Tisbury, England – Effective January 2008
--Hay-On-Wye, Wales – Effective December 2007 -
United States:
Alaska – As of 1998 30 villages and towns have bans
California
--Fairfax – Passed by voter initiative on November 4, 2008
--Malibu – Adopted May 2008
--Manhattan Beach – Adopted July 1, 2008 – In lawsuit
--Palo Alto - Adopted March 2009; Effective September 2009
--Oakland – Adopted June 29, 2007; Voluntary ban
--San Francisco – Adopted April 2007
Connecticut, Westport – Adopted September 2, 2008; Effective March 19, 2009
District of Columbia - Effective January 2010
Iowa, Marshall County, – Effective April 9, 2009
Hawaii
--Kauai County - Effective 2011
--Maui Count - Effective 2011
--Paia, Maui – Effective 2008
New York, Suffolk County– Adopted in 1988
North Carolina (Outer Banks) – Adopted June 24, 2009; Effective September 1, 2009
Washington
--Edmonds, – Adopted August 2009;Effective August 2010
Plastic Bag Fees
Belgium – Effective July 1, 2007
Canada, Toronto—Effective June 1, 2009
Denmark – Adopted in 1994
Germany - Adopted in 2003
Hong Kong – Adopted April 2009; Effective July 2009
Irish Republic – Effective March 2002,
15-cents per bag
Israel – Adopted June 2008
Italy – Adopted in 1988; Ban to be introduced in 2010
Netherlands – Effective January 2008
Washington, D.C. – Adopted June 16, 2009
Washington, Seattle – Adopted by city council on July 28, 2008 – Defeated by ballot initiative on August 18th