Our New Jersey Legislature is at it again with a ban on plastic bags. This is just some ‘feel good’ legislation that really does nothing for the public or the environment.
From the BBC, “Paper bags require marginally fewer reuses than bags for life to make them more environmentally friendly than single-use plastic bags.
On the other hand, paper bags are less durable than other types of bags. So if customers have to replace their paper ones more frequently, it will have a greater environmental effect.
But the key to reducing the impact of all carrier bags – no matter what they are made of – is to reuse them as much as possible, says Margaret Bates, professor of sustainable waste management at Northampton University.
Many people forget to bring their reusable bags on their weekly supermarket trip, and end up having to buy more bags at the till, she says.
This will have a much bigger environmental impact compared with just choosing to use paper, plastic or cotton.”
So as you can see from the above the argument about banning plastic bags is pure garbage. Yes, we need to educate the public not to throw them out and to recycle them. These bags are totally recyclable unlike replacement reusable bags. Which take more energy to make and require you to wash them, something many do not do and thus are creating a health hazard!
What our legislators seem to not understand is the left wing environmentalists were the same people who wanted to stop the cutting down of trees, because they thought this was harming the environment. Well they were shown to be wrong and again they are incorrect in their approach and conclusions.
Banning plastic bags is nonsense and does not help our environment. Maybe they should go to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and the worst offender China! In those places the waterways and oceans are teaming with plastic garbage. We in the United States do not have such a bad problem.
While we need to correct how people handle the disposal of plastic bags, it should be done with public education. Not the banning of!
That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike
