Policy Design Elements presented through Plastic Bag Bans
A whopping 8 million metric tons of plastic are discarded into the ocean annually, and more than 90% of plastic is NEVER recycled. At this rate, there will be more plastic in our oceans by 2050 than there will be fish. Therefore, cities have started to take action; The Global Plastic Action Partnership is an organization that works with businesses, international donors, multiple levels of government, and groups in the community to combat plastic pollution. Their emphasis is on shifting our economy from a linear depiction to a circular one in which products are reused, redesigned, and recovered to reduce environmental impacts
New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, Hawaii, California, and New Mexico have all implemented policies regarding plastic bag bans.
What are the goals of these policies?- to outlaw plastic bags in order to decrease the impact of plastics on human health, wildlife well-being, and decrease the overall production and waste presented by plastic bags.
What are the tools of this policy?- these policies are implemented at a state level with few exception; in order to push individuals away from single use plastics, there will be charges from 10 cents and up.
What/ Who are the targets of these policies?- businesses, the public, and corporations are the targets for this policy. In order to improve the plastic challenges we face, the behavior of the community must shift to viewing plastic bags as unnecessary, a health hazard, and overall bad thing.