2 ms·
I almost feel like grocery bag and plastic straw bans were a psy-op by the plastic lobby. These seem like the least consequential, but most inconvenient things
by kennywinker 4y ago
I almost feel like grocery bag and plastic straw bans were a psy-op by the plastic lobby. These seem like the least consequential, but most inconvenient things to start with. Every time I use a paper straw, or have to buy a $1 "reusable" grocery bag I think of how many people this will have turned away from further plastic restriction.
- dundarious 4y agoMy memory is that in Europe, these bans came into force as a way to reduce litter as much as anything else. There definitely used to be bags in bushes and trees everywhere when I was a child, but no more.
- bombcar 4y agoLitter is a much better argument than "save the climate turtles" or whatever is usually mentioned.
- dundarious 4y agoIn fairness, the article itself doesn't mention climate effects, just the following, which I read as implying that voluntary reduced use of single-use plastic bags has had a material anti-litter effect, so the law should have an even greater anti-litter effect: > According to the Mercury News, the number of plastic bags picked up at California beaches during the state’s annual Coast Clean Up day dropped by 61% from 65,736 to 25,768 by 2019. I'm not claiming that proponents didn't primarily highlight climate, I don't know, I'm just going off this article where it's not even mentioned (yet practically all the comments seem to revolve around this being an ineffective climate measure).