By Hiba Samdani, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Nothing pains me more than forgetting my reusable shopping bag at Wegmans. As someone who makes quick runs to pick up convenience items, the absence of plastic bags is not conducive to this type of shopping. On Sept. 22, Wegmans banned the use of plastic bags, replacing them with reusable or 5 cent paper bags instead. In the Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships, plastic bag bans are coming in the near future, effectively banning them in Easttown in January and in Tredyffrin in March. While these environmentally conscious initiatives are a step in the right direction, they do not bear the effect they were intended to have.

Banning plastic bags has left two main alternatives — paper and tote bags — which come with their own drawbacks. Creating paper bags requires cutting and processing trees, a process that uses a lot of water, toxic chemicals, fuel and heavy machinery. According to NPR, because of the increased destruction of trees, using paper as a substitute for plastic increases greenhouse gas emissions. While the bans reduce nonbiodegradable litter, the Washington Post reported that paper bag manufacturing creates 70 times more air pollution and five times more water pollution than plastic bags. Even cotton tote bags are not as effective as some may think. A study done by the U.K. government found that a tote bag must be used 131 times for every plastic grocery bag for it to positively affect the environment. These tradeoffs end up damaging the environment in new ways making the changes not worth the cost.

Plastic bags serve a multi-purpose, and it is difficult to find a comparable replacement. After unloading groceries, most people reuse them to line trash cans, pick up after pets or even pack lunches. Their versatility is not equally found in trash bags, the sales of which have increased to supplant the original grocery store bags. In fact, according to NPR, small 4-gallon bags saw a 120% increase in sales, meaning 30% of the plastic eliminated by bans across the country came back in the form of trash bags. While the ban has some helpful components, there are unforeseen consequences that undo some of the positive effects.

This is not to say bans are completely wrong — they still have reduced the waste of plastic. The ban led to 40 million fewer pounds of trash per year, and people in cities with these bans use less plastic. However, there are better ways to be environmentally conscious than completely banning plastic bags. Rather than eliminating a type of bag, it is more important to ensure its reuse. A more effective policy would implement a fee on all types of bags, regardless of the material they are made of. Such a policy would not only discourage excessive use of all types of bags, but it also offers the flexibility of using bags with material suited for one’s needs. While the plastic bag ban is a good attempt, more work needs to be done to successfully feel its effectiveness.

Hiba Samdani can be reached at [email protected].