A recent study by researchers Anna Papp and Kimberly Oremus highlights the effectiveness of plastic bag bans in reducing beach litter. Analyzing data from over 45,000 shoreline cleanups between 2017 and 2023, the researchers found that areas with bans reported 25% to 47% fewer plastic bags in total litter. Importantly, the study indicated no rebound effect, which means that bag bans lead to significant reductions in plastic pollution. The results support claims that larger geographic bans yield better outcomes, reflecting effective implementation of environmental policies in combating single-use plastic waste.
The study found that beach cleanups in areas with plastic bag bans had between 25% and 47% fewer bags as a share of total items collected compared to locations without bans.
Anna Papp and Kimberly Oremus from Columbia University and the University of Delaware leveraged hundreds of state and local plastic bag policies to assess their impacts on pollution.
Collection
[
|
...
]