For many, if not most, a national ban on plastic bags may be a welcome initiative. Since 2020, it was reported that this has been under consideration with the updating of the Litter Regulations Act 2013 and the Expanded Polystyrene Regulations Act 2015. The proposed ban on “single-use” plastic bags has taken another turn, with the Environmental Protection Agency saying that, after numerous public consultations, there are now alternative methods/ strategies being considered.
Government has already taken the stance and banned Styrofoam containers, which for many years were clogging up the country’s drainage network. The environmentally damaging effects of plastic bags far outweigh their convenience. As we have already witnessed, plastic bags can increase the risk of flooding, and when the plastic is washed out into the ocean, it has negative impacts on hundreds of different species of marine life. There are many problems associated with plastic bags, which is why bans or fees are in place in many countries.
The oldest is in Denmark, which started in 1993, whereby charges are levied for the use of plastic bags. Ireland has perhaps the best-known measure, which is the 2002 ‘bag tax’. Consumers would have to actually purchase bags. This resulted in a 90% drop in bag usage and a great reduction in litter. By 2007, usage was rising again, which led to an increase in the price of bags. Ireland and Denmark are just two successful examples, and many other countries across the world are following suit. The European Union had set the year 2019 for an 80% reduction of plastic bags. This means that virtually every European country had been considering ways to bring about reduction of plastic bag usage by then.
Many other countries have already taken the decision to place a ban on plastic bags, in fact, the then UK Prime Minister Theresa May had defended the country’s ‘long-term’ plastic waste plan. The Prime Minister had said at the time, when she ruled the UK, that her long-term strategy included eradicating all avoidable plastic waste in the UK by 2042, which would allow future generations to “enjoy a beautiful environment”. Key to this is a crackdown on throwaway plastics. Under the UK Government’s plan, supermarkets will be urged to introduce “plastic-free” aisles, while taxes and charges on single-use items such as takeaway containers will be considered. Other measures announced included a charge for plastic carrier bags to all retailers in England, Government funding for plastics innovation, and a commitment to help developing nations tackle pollution and reduce plastic waste, including through UK aid.
She had called plastic waste “one of the great environmental scourges of our time”, adding: “In the UK alone, the amount of single-use plastic wasted every year would fill 1,000 Royal Albert Halls.” The PM had at the time added, too, that the Government had already reduced plastic bag usage by nine billion, and legislated to ban plastic microbeads used in cosmetics and cleaning products. Environmentalists there agree that the Government’s plan to restore nature – not just safeguard nature – is genuinely radical.
Aside from being a national problem, the profusion of plastic waste is also a global issue, and the UN Oceans Chief Lisa Svensson has warned that life in the seas risks irreparable damage from a rising tide of plastic waste, and she urges firms and individuals to act far more quickly to halt plastic pollution. However, plastic bags are just one part of the problem – there are so many other types of plastic flowing through waterways. Svensson admitted that it could take 10 years to get a UN treaty agreed on plastic litter, and a further two years to get it implemented. In the meantime, she has urged that there be much stronger actions from civil society, putting pressure on business to change – they can, in turn, switch their supply chains. More importantly, the UN Representative emphasised the need for more individual governments to take urgent action too.
According to the BBC, Indonesia – the world’s second biggest plastics polluter after China – has pledged to reduce plastic waste into the ocean by 75% by 2025. China is also looking at new policies to curb plastic waste, after a decade-long campaign failed to show results. While countries grapple with individual challenges and issues with enforcement, experts suggest that countries tackle the issues through mandatory education programmes and public awareness; if not, then regulations for curbing plastic in future might not work.
The main driver behind bag bans is to lower how much plastic finds its way into the marine world. About 94% of all birds have plastic in their stomachs, which is also found in the stomachs of many endangered species. At least 267 different species of animals have suffered as a result of ingestion of or entanglement with plastic. In fact, these results caused Australia to ban bags locally in 2003 in an effort to protect the migrating whales in Tasmania. It comes as welcome news that Guyana will now join in the drive to ban plastic bags.
