The Plastic Bag Debate

Following the lead that San Francisco set, numerous cities and jurisdictions have set out to ban or tax the use of plastic grocery bags.  As with any hot topic there are groups that form on either side of the rally line.  In California two noticeable groups that are at odds with each other over the plastic bag bans are the Californians against Waste and the American Chemistry Council. 

The American Chemistry Council is obviously against banning single-use plastic bags.  The division of the American Chemistry Council that is involved with this movement is the Plastics Council.  Looking at their website I found their information on some plastic bag facts as supported by the manufacturers.  They also list information about the Progressive Bag Affiliates, which is working to improve plastic bag recycling efforts.

The group Californians against Waste is acting in support of the various bans on plastic bags being implemented in California.  They are working to improve the environment of California through reducing waste and improving recycling program and policies.  While they are active on the topic of plastic bags they also take on a number of other environmental topics.  Their website covers the environmental impact of plastic bags on the state of California in an article titled The Problem of Plastic Bags.

By presenting the information from each side of the debate we can get a better idea of the real facts behind the topic which likely lie somewhere in the middle of the information presented in the links of this blog post.  Only by collecting a variety of information on a topic can we as consumers make an informed decision when asked, "Paper or plastic" at the store.