Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound

Why Washington Should Join the Global Movement to Reduce Plastic Bag Pollution Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound

Why Washington Should Join the Global Movement to Reduce Plastic Bag Pollution

Written by:

Robb Krehbiel Environment Washington Research & Policy Center

November 2011 Acknowledgments

Environment Washington Research & Policy Center would like to thank Julia Ritchie of Environment California Research & Policy Center and Travis Madsen at Frontier Group for sharing the research and writing from “Leading the Way Toward a Clean Ocean. We would also like to thank Heather Trimm of People for Puget Sound, Anne Murphy and Lee Whitmore of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, and Shannon Serrano-Gerritzen, Rick Wilson, and Angela Howe from the Surfrider foundation for peer reviewing this document. Additional thanks to Cameron Harris, who assisted with research, and Travis Madsen at Frontier Group, who provided editorial assistance. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of our funders or those who provided review. Any factual errors are strictly the responsibility of the authors. Copyright 2011 Environment Washington Research & Policy Center Environment Washington Research & Policy Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. We are dedicated to protecting Washington’s air, water and open spaces. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public and decision makers, and help Washingtonians make their voices heard in local, state and national debates over the quality of our environment and our lives. For more information about Environment Washington Research & Policy Center, please visit our Web site at www.environmentwashington.org/center. Frontier Group conducts independent research and policy analysis to support a cleaner, healthier and more democratic society. Our mission is to inject accurate information and compelling ideas into public policy debates at the local, state and federal levels. For more information about Frontier Group, please visit our Web site at www. frontiergroup.org.

Cover Photo: Shutterstock, Sandy Buckley Layout: To the Point Publications, www.tothepointpublications.com Table of Contents

Executive Summary ...... 4. Introduction ...... 6 Plastic Bags Pollute Puget Sound ...... 6. Communities Across the World Have Taken Action to Reduce Plastic Bag Pollution ...... 8 Bans on Plastic Bags ...... 8 Fee Programs and Taxes ...... 12

Policy Recommendations ...... 14. Notes ...... 15 Executive Summary

uget Sound is threatened by recycled. Instead, they end up sitting plastic pollution. Plastic trash in landfills, littering streets, clogging Ppersists for hundreds of years streams, fouling beaches, or floating and can kill or harm whales, turtles, in the Sound. seabirds and other marine animals. • Researchers at the University of Single use plastic bags are a Washington-Tacoma have found significant part of the problem. To plastic pollution in every water reduce ocean pollution and protect the sample they have taken from Puget environment, dozens of national and Sound. local governments across the planet have taken official action to reduce • In April 2010, a dead grey whale or eliminate single use plastic bags. washed up on the beach in West State and local governments in Seattle. It had 20 plastic bags in its Washington should follow their lead stomach. and ban the use of plastic grocery bags. • In the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Plastic bags contribute to the researchers found that 12.2 percent pollution of Puget Sound. of gulls consume plastic – half of • Washingtonians use over 2 billion which was thin-film, like what plastic plastic bags per year. Nationwide, bags are made of. less than 6 percent of plastic bags are

4 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound • On beaches of Orcas Island, retailers fell from 22.5 million per volunteers collected more than month to 3.3 million per month. 10,000 pieces of micro-plastic in • The year after banning plastic bags one day of cleanup work, including at pharmacies and supermarkets pieces of plastic bags. in 2007, San Francisco businesses distributed 127 million fewer plastic More than 80 national and local bags, and cut overall bag waste governments around the world have reaching the city landfill by up to 10 taken action to protect the ocean by percent. reducing the use of plastic bags. • At least 20 nations and 88 local Two Washington cities have already governments have passed bans on taken action to reduce plastic bag distributing thin plastic or other pollution. types of disposable plastic bags, including the nations of Italy, • Edmonds was the first city in Kenya, Mongolia, Macedonia, Washington to ban plastic bags, and Bangladesh; the states of adopting a ban in 2009. Maharashtra, India and Buenos • More recently, Bellingham adopted Aires, Argentina; and the cities of a ban on thin-plastic carry-home Karachi, Pakistan and Telluride, bags and a 5 cents fee on paper bags Colorado. in July 2011. • Approximately 26 nations and local • Other cities, including Seattle, Lake communities have established fee Forest Park, and Mukilteo, are programs to reduce plastic bag use actively considering bag bans. and/or increase the use of reusable alternatives, including Botswana, Much more progress can be made China, Hong Kong, Wales, to reduce plastic pollution in Puget Ireland, Israel, Canada’s Northwest Sound and transform our throw- Territories, Toronto, Mexico City, away culture. and Washington, D.C. • Education and recycling cannot Bans and meaningful fee programs keep pace with the generation of effectively reduce plastic bag plastic bag pollution. For example, pollution. despite a 2006 law in California requiring retailers to place bag • Ireland, which in 2002 established recycling bins in front of their a fee roughly equivalent to 28 U.S. stores, less than 5 percent of bags cents per bag, saw plastic bag use there are recycled. drop by 90 percent within the first year. • To make a real impact, all Washing- ton cities and counties should • After Washington, D.C., restrict the use of plastic bags, and implemented a much smaller 5-cent advocate for similar action at the tax on plastic bags, the number of state level. plastic bags distributed by food

Executive Summary 5 Introduction

uget Sound is an irreplaceable trea- overfishing, global climate change, sure. It is central to Washington’s habitat loss, and toxic run-off are put- Pculture and our livelihood. Harbor ting important marine ecosystems at seals play within our bays and thousands risk. Many critical wildlife populations of salmon make their way through the and historic salmon runs are in serious Sound every year to spawn. Three en- decline. dangered pods of resident orcas visit The problems facing Puget Sound the Sound on a regular basis. Seabirds and our oceans are varied and complex, congregate on our beaches and in our from our overdependence on fossil fuels harbors, belting out their familiar cries. to our careless use of natural resources. And beneath the waves, the seafloor is However, many of these problems can filled with sea grasses and clam beds. be traced back toward an unreasonable The Sound is also an incredibly valu- expectation that our consumer activities able part of our economy. The benefits don’t impact the Sound despite growing provided by Puget Sound – including evidence to the contrary. food, protection from storms, attrac- To protect and preserve Puget Sound tions for tourism, and opportunities for for the long haul, we need to recognize recreation – contribute an estimated $83 the real and increasing threat that plastic billion directly to the economy.1 pollution poses. The most important Unfortunately, Puget Sound and our way to accomplish this is to generate oceans are also in trouble. Destructive less trash.

6 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound These bags help us move groceries for a few minutes, but they pollute our environment for hundreds of years and threaten our wildlife.

Plastic bags – the single use kind you have taken action to reduce plastic bag receive at many grocery stores – are a pollution. While the list of policies good place to start. These bags help us covered in this report is not necessarily move groceries for a few minutes, but they exhaustive, it does show the wide scope pollute our environment for hundreds of of action across the planet to protect our years and threaten our wildlife. These oceans, reduce litter, and use our natural bags represent a wasteful and unneces- resources more wisely. sary use of limited fossil fuel resources. By joining these global communities Switching to reusable bags can cut down in banning plastic bags, Washington has on the amount of plastic trash ending up an opportunity to build on its reputa- in Puget Sound and begin to raise public tion for environmental leadership and consciousness about the need to make our become the first state in the U.S. to ban communities more sustainable. plastic bags. Each new county, city or Banning plastic bags is an idea whose town that takes action to reduce plastic time has come. As this report shows, na- bag pollution builds momentum to- tions from Tanzania to Italy, and commu- wards a cleaner Puget Sound and ocean nities from Buenos Aires to Bellingham, for current and future generations.

Introduction 7 Plastic Bags Pollute Puget Sound

lastic trash contaminates Puget this plastic was thin film, which includes Sound and litters its shoreline. plastic bags.3 PThis litter, including plastic bags, The problem is not limited to Puget poses a serious threat to wildlife in Sound. According to the United Nations the Sound. Many marine species may Environment Programme, every square mistake plastic for food. When they mile of ocean contains 46,000 pieces of ingest plastic, they can choke, suffer floating plastic, on average.4 About one digestive system blockages, or absorb thousand miles off the Washington coast, toxic chemicals. more than 100 million tons of plastic gar- In April 2010, West Seattle residents bage has concentrated in an area known found a grey whale, dead on the beach. A as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.5 necropsy revealed that the whale’s stom- Churned by ocean currents, this toxic, ach was full of trash, including 20 plastic plastic soup spans an area twice the size of bags.2 Further out in the Strait of Juan Texas.6 Within this area, plastic outweighs de Fuca, the Port Townsend Marine plankton by up to six times during certain Science Center found that about 12.2 times of the day.7 percent of the gulls nesting along the Plastic pollution ends up in ocean shores were consuming plastic. Half of animals. In June 2011, researchers at

8 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound UC San Diego’s Scripps Institute of Puget Sound examined the extent of Oceanography published a study finding micro-plastic pollution in the water, and that nearly one in ten small fish collected they have found plastic in every sample in the middle of the Pacific Ocean had taken.15 plastic in their bodies. The researchers Very small pieces of plastic or mi- estimated that world-wide, fish are eat- croplastics pose threats as well. These ing as much as 24,000 tons of plastic each specks of plastic absorb other chemi- year.8 Over 260 marine species have been cals in the water, including the banned found with plastic in their stomachs or toxicants DDT and PCBs, becoming tangled around their bodies– interfering super-concentrated toxic pellets.16 Small with feeding, movement and reproduc- plastics are easily ingested by filter feed- tion, and causing injury or death.9 ers, like clams and mussels, facilitating Sea turtle, which feed on jellyfish, often the accumulation of toxic chemicals mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat up the food chain. Any other animals them.10 One study found that nearly 30 (including humans) that eat these con- percent of turtle mortality in the eastern taminated shellfish risk ingesting these Moreton Bay region was due to plastic same toxins.17 debris consumption. Half of the plastic in These chemicals are already found in turtle stomachs was thin plastic, like the our wildlife, and it’s possible that plastic kind used to make plastic bags.11 helped move them there. According to On Midway Island, over one thou- the Washington Department of Fish sand miles from any major city, is one and Wildlife, PCB levels in Chinook of the largest nesting sites of the Laysan salmon from Puget Sound are 3-5 times albatross. These birds soar hundreds higher than any other population on the of miles in search of food to bring back West Coast. Herrings and Mussels in to their chicks, and all too often, they the Sound were also found to have high mistakenly bring back plastic. One levels of PCB.18 Toxic contamination is study revealed that 97.5% of the chicks also one of the major threats to Puget had plastic in their stomach, and 40% of Sound’s endangered orca pods. PCB these chicks died from eating too much levels in resident orcas are high enough plastic trash.12 to make them sick, impacting their re- Plastic does not biodegrade in the productive and immune systems. Young ocean. Rather, it breaks up into smaller orcas are especially impacted by toxic and smaller pieces, which remain hazard- contamination since these chemicals ous to the ocean ecosystem. While not become extremely concentrated in their as visible as large pieces of plastic trash, mother’s milk.19 small plastic bits, or micro-plastics, are a huge problem in Puget Sound. On Orcas Plastic Bags Contribute to the Island, cleanup volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of small pieces of Pollution in Puget Sound plastic during one day of work at Fishing Too much of this plastic trash in Bay.13 Scientists estimate that 6 tons of Puget Sound comes from items that we plastic litter Washington’s shoreline.14 use for a short time and then discard. Small pieces of plastic are not limited Single use plastic bags are a prime – and to our beaches; they are floating in our visible – example. Plastic bags are con- waters. Researchers at the University of venient, but they are also durable and Washington - Tacoma found plastic bits buoyant. For a few minutes of carrying in every sample they have taken from groceries, the bags have the potential to

Plastic Bags Pollute Puget Sound 9 photo: Environment Washington stead, the bags end up sitting in landfills, littering streets, clogging streams, fouling beaches, or floating out to sea. According to beach cleanup volunteers working with the Ocean Conservancy, plastic bags were the sixth-most common item found on beaches worldwide over 25 years of clean up events, accounting for 5 percent of all trash items.23

Plastic Pollution Costs Our Economy, Too Plastic pollution costs developing and industrialized nations up to $1.3 billion annually, primarily by threatening fish- ing, shipping and tourism industries.24 In the United States, governments spend at least $11.5 billion annually on litter collection, disposal and enforcement. Seattle city councilor Mike O’Brien stands Businesses bear almost 80 percent of this 25 with a bag monster in support of Seattle’s burden. Plastic bags alone exact huge economic 2009 bag fee. costs. Retailers spend hundreds of mil- lions of dollars annually to provide single- contaminate Puget Sound and the ocean use bags to customers. Supermarkets environment for hundreds of years. spend up to $1,500 to $6,000 a month to Every year, Washingtonians use over provide single-use bags to their custom- 2 billion plastic grocery bags.20 The city ers at check-out.26 Stores typically pay 2 of Seattle alone uses about 292 million a to 5 cents per plastic bag; these costs are year.21 Nationwide, less than 6 percent of embedded in food prices and are then these plastic bags end up recycled.22 In- passed onto consumers.27

10 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound Communities Across the World Have Taken Action to Reduce Plastic Bag Pollution

ore than 80 national and local Bans on Plastic Bags governments across the world At least 20 nations and 46 local gov- Mhave taken official action to ernments have implemented bans on protect the ocean by reducing the use distributing specific kinds of single use of plastic bags. In their place, retailers plastic bags. are selling reusable bags, or bags made Governments have had a variety of from compostable material. reasons to implement bag bans. Some Nations from Kenya to Mongolia, communities enacted bag bans specifical- and local governments from Maha- ly to reduce ocean pollution – a rationale rashtra, India to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, particularly common in communities have taken action to ban single use whose economies depend upon beach ac- plastic bags. Dozens more, from Hong tivities, whale watching and other forms Kong to Ireland, have established fee of ocean tourism. Others chose to enact programs to reduce plastic bag use or the policy to reduce litter. For example, support more sustainable alternatives. the state of Maharashtra in India, where Other nations and communities have Bombay is located, banned plastic bags to established taxes on businesses that prevent them from clogging storm drains distribute plastic bags. and contributing to floods.28

Communities Across the World Have Taken Action to Reduce Plastic Bag Pollution 11 Policies that ban the distribution Local Governments Abroad: of plastic bags are the most effective Additionally, more than 20 local gov- at reducing plastic bag pollution. For ernments outside of the United States example, the year after banning plastic have passed plastic bag bans, includ- bags at pharmacies and supermarkets ing:36 in 2007, San Francisco businesses dis- tributed 127 million fewer plastic bags, Dahka, Bangladesh 2002 and cut overall bag waste reaching the South Australia 2008 city landfill by up to 10 percent.29 And Northern Territory, Australia 2011 four months after Huntingdon, Canada, Loddon Shire, Victoria, Australia 2005 banned plastic bags, the owner of a gro- cery store reported that 82 percent of his Corsica, France 1999 customers brought their own bags, while Paris, France 2007 the remainder chose paper.30 Rio de Janiero, Brazil 2009 Buenos Aires, Argentina 2008 Nations: Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, Canada 2007 Eriksdale, Manitoba, Canada 200828 At least 20 nations have passed bans to 29 reduce bag pollution, including:31 Coldwell, Manitoba, Canada 2008 Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada 2008 Bangladesh 2002 Hurghada, Red Sea Province, 200930 Bhutan 2005 Egypt Delhi, India 2009 Botswana 200732 Maharashtra, India 200531 China 2008 Himachal Pradesh, India 200932 Eritrea 2005 Chandigarh, India 200833 Ethiopia 2008 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan 200634 France 2010 Zanzibar, Tanzania 2006 Kenya 2008 Llandysilio, Wales 2007 Italy 2007 India 2002 photo: Istockphoto.com, user McIninch Macedonia 201133 Mongolia 200934 Papua New Guinea 200935 Rwanda 2005 Somaliland 2005 South Africa 2003 Taiwan 2003 Tanzania 2006 Uganda 2007 United Arab Emirates 2011 Policies that ban the distribution of plastic bags or establish fees or taxes on such bags are effective at reducing plastic bag pollution, and encouraging the use of reusable bags.

12 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound Local Governments in the Local Governments in United States: Washington Well over 50 American communities Two cities in Washington have acted have acted against plastic bags, against plastic bag pollution: Edmonds including:44 and Bellingham. Edmonds became the first city in the American Samoa (2011) state of Washington to ban disposable Maui County, Hawaii (2008) plastic bags. After growing concern Kauai County, Hawaii (2009) about the impact these bags have on the environment, the city council approved At least 30 coastal commu- (2009)45 a ban in 2009.58 nities in Alaska, including The next city to approve a ban came Bethel in July 2011, when the Bellingham City 46 Telluride, Colorado (2011) Council unanimously approved banning Westport, Connecticut (2008)47 disposable plastic bags and a 5 cents fee Unincorporated Marshall (2008)48 on paper bags. The community rallied County, Iowa together behind the ordinance with thousands of signatures, neighborhood Outer Banks, North Carolina (2009)49 endorsements, and the support of major Southampton Village, New (2011)50 grocery stores in the city.59 These two York cities have set the standard for the rest Suffolk County, New York (1998)51 of Washington to follow. Brownsville, Texas (2011) South Padre Island, Texas (2011)52 Fee Programs and Taxes Unincorporated Marin (2011) Approximately 25 nations and lo- County, California cal communities have established fee Fairfax, California (2008) programs to reduce plastic bag use or Unincorporated L.A. County, (2010) encourage reusable alternatives. California Fee programs and taxes can have Calabasas, California (2011) multiple purposes. First, by establishing Malibu, California (2008) a price on disposable bags, governments Long Beach, California (2011) can send a price signal to citizens to mo- tivate different behaviors. For example, in Santa Monica, California (2011) 2002 the Republic of Ireland established San Francisco, California (2007) a15 Euro cent tax on plastic bags (roughly Unincorporated Santa Clara (2011) equivalent to about 28 U.S. cents per bag County, California today), applied to consumers at the point Palo Alto, California (2011) of sale. In the first year of this policy, San Jose, California (2010) consumers used 90 percent fewer plastic bags. The tax grew relatively less effective San Luis Obispo, California 53 (2011) over time, so the nation increased the tax Laguna Beach, California (2011)54 in 2007. Overall, plastic bags have gone West Hollywood, California (2011)55 from 5 percent to less than 0.25 percent of the waste stream.60 Unincorporated Santa Cruz 56 (2011) Washington, D.C. provides another County, California example. After the district implemented 57 Aspen, Colorado (2011) a much smaller 5 cent tax on plastic

Communities Across the World Have Taken Action to Reduce Plastic Bag Pollution 13 bags, the number of bags distributed by Germany (earlier than 2005)70 food retailers fell from 22.5 million per Ireland (2002) month to 3.3 million per month.61 That is a decrease of more than 85 percent. Israel (2008) This action translated into an observed The Netherlands (2008)71 decrease in plastic pollution in rivers and South Africa (2003)72 streams. According to the Alice Ferguson Foundation, since implementation of the Wales (2011) bag fee, river cleanup efforts have turned up 66 percent fewer plastic bags.62 Fee policies can also reimburse shop Local Governments Abroad: owners for any added expense of policy compliance. For example, stores in un- Northwest Territories, Canada (2010) incorporated Los Angeles County must Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2009) charge customers 10 cents for every paper Amqui, Quebec, Canada (2008)73 bag provided. The store retains the rev- Mexico City, Mexico (2009) enue and can use it to cover the cost of Andalucia, Spain 74 providing paper bags or the cost of edu- (2011) cating customers about reusable bags. Fee programs and taxes can also pro- vide funding for government programs. Local Governments in the For example, Ireland uses the money United States: from its bag tax for recycling programs, enforcement of solid waste laws, and Washington, D.C. (2009) other environmental priorities.63 Montgomery County, Maryland (2011) Some countries have both a ban on certain types of plastic bags, and fees on others. For example, China has banned disposable bags that fail to meet the Local Governments in durability standards necessary to be Washington: considered reusable. China then requires In 2009, the Seattle City Council retailers to charge customers a fee to ob- passed a law placing a 20-cent fee on plas- tain one of the more durable plastic bags, tic bags, hoping to encourage consumers encouraging reuse.64 to use their reusable bags instead. While Governments that have created fee this policy might have reduced plastic bag programs or taxes applied to single use consumption, it was over-turned by a bal- bags include:65 lot initiative funded almost entirely by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), an Nations: industry group with members like Exxon Mobil and Dow Chemical. Pouring over Belgium (2007) $1.4 million into defeating the bag fee, Botswana (2007)66 the ACC outspent environmental groups 18 to 1, largely using false claims to defeat Bulgaria (2011) the measure.75 China (2008)67 Denmark (1994)68 Hong Kong (2009)69

14 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound Policy Recommendations

othing we use for a few minutes cannot keep pace with the generation should end up polluting Puget of plastic bag pollution. Accordingly, NSound for hundreds of years. Washington should adopt a state-wide Items meant only for a single use provide policy to ban the use of single use plas- dubious convenience, and a great deal tic bags. Until that happens, cities and of hidden cost. When we throw away counties in Washington should enact something like a plastic bag, “away” may policies to ban or limit the use of single actually mean our beaches, Puget Sound, use plastic bags. Not only can these in- or the belly of a whale. dividual policies have a meaningful im- To protect Puget Sound and conserve pact, they can build momentum for the precious natural resources, our culture state to take similar action. With Puget needs to shift away from its “throw-away” Sound in our own backyard, Washing- mentality. ton should be a leader on this issue and Washingtonians will have to reduce serve as an example for the rest of the the amount of trash and pollution mak- West Coast and the country. ing its way to the water. An obvious first Ultimately, Washington’s actions place to start is to reduce the amount of can lead to a cleaner Puget Sound and unnecessary plastics, like plastic bags. ocean for current and future genera- Education and recycling efforts simply tions.

Policy Recommendations 15 Notes

1. David Batker, Paula Swedeen, Robert Costanza, 9. JGB Derraik, “The Pollution of the Marine Isabel de la Torre, Roelof Boumans, and Kenneth Environment by Plastic Debris: A Review,” Bagstad, Earth Economics, A New View of the Puget Marine Pollution Bulletin 44: 842-852, 2002; D.W. Sound Economy: The Economic Value of Nature’s Services Laist, “Impacts of Marine Debris: Entanglement in the Puget Sound Basin, 2008. of Marine Life in Marine Debris Including a Comprehensive List of Species with Entanglement 2. Lynda V. Mapes “Beached Whales’ Stomach and Ingestion Records,” In: J.M. Coe & D.B. Found to Be Full of Fresh Trash,” The Seattle Times, Rogers (Eds.), Marine Debris: Sources, Impacts, and 20 April 2010, available at seattletimes.nwsource. Solutions, (Springer-Verlag, New York) 1997, pp. com/html/localnews/2011657607_graywhale21m. 99-140. html. 10. Colette Wabnitz & Wallace Nichols, 3. Jen Kingfisher, Port Townsend Marine Science “Editorial: Plastic Pollution: An Ocean Center, Micro-Plastic Debris Accumulation on Puget Emergency,” Marine Turtle Newsletter 129, Sound Beaches, 2010. March 2010. 11. Lexi Metherell, “Third of Turtles Killed 4. United Nations Environment Programme, by Marine Rubbish,” ABC News Australia, 7 Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Deep Waters and High June 2011, available at www.abc.net.au/news/ Seas, UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. stories/2011/06/07/3237485.htm. 178, June 2006. 12. Monterey Bay Aquarium, Laysan Albatross & 5. Kathy Marks and Daniel Howden, “The World’s Plastics, accessed 7 October, 2011, available at http:// Rubbish Dump: A Tip that Stretches from Hawaii www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/oceanissues/ to Japan,” The Independent UK, 5 February 2008. plastics_albatross/ 13. Margie Doyle, “Micro-Plastic Pollution in San 6. Lindsey Hoshaw, “Afloat in the Ocean, Juans’ Water,” Orcas Issues, 12 May 2010, available Expanding Islands of Trash,” New York Times, 9 at orcasissues.com/micro-plastic-pollution-in-san- November 2009. The U.S. National Oceanic juans-waters. and Atmospheric Administration notes that there is uncertainty about the definition and size of 14. Jen Kingfisher, Port Townsend Marine Science the Garbage Patch, but the bottom line is that Center, Micro-Plastic Debris Accumulation on Puget “man-made debris does not belong in our oceans Sound Beaches, 2010. and waterways.” National Atmospheric and 15. Gary Chittam, “A Little Plastic in Every Scoop Oceanic Administration, De-Mystifying the “Great of Puget Sound,” KING 5 News, 9 November 2010, Pacific Garbage Patch,” 13 June 2011, available at available at www.king5.com/news/environment/ marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html#5. A-Little-Plastic-In-Every-Scoop-of-Puget- 7. Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Research Sound-106994203.html. - North Pacific Gyre Plankton Sample Analysis ‘07- 16. Jessica Marshal, “Microplastics Eyed as Marine ’08, undated, downloaded from www.algalita.org/ Pollutants: Experts Start to Ask if Tiny Particles research/np_gyre_sample07-08.html on 7 June Might Be Clogging Ocean Food Chain,” Discovery 2011. News, 2 October 2008, available at www.msnbc. 8. Tony Barboza, “Researchers Find Plastic in More msn.com/id/26994478/ns/us_news-environment/#. Than 9% of Fish in Northern Pacific Ocean,”Los To8hIHE7htQ. Angeles Times, 1 July 2011.

16 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound 17. Ashley Ahearn, “Microplastics Making their Report to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Marine Way Through the Food Chain, Right Up to You,” Resource Conservation Working Group by the National OPB News, 23 May 2011, available at news.opb.org/ Marine Science Centre (University of New England article/microplastics-making-their-way-through- & Southern Cross University), Coffs Harbour, NSW, food-chain-right-you/. Australia, December 2008.

18. Sandra M. O’Neil and James E. West, 25. Mid-Atlantic Solid Waste Consultants for Keep Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, America Beautiful, Inc., National Visible Litter Survey “Marine Distribution, Life History Traits, and Litter Cost Study, 18 September 2009. and the Accumulation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Chinook Salmon from Puget 26. Estimates from bag manufacturers and the Food Sound, Washington,” Transactions of the American Marketing Institute: J. Downing, “Free Grocery Fisheries Society, 138:616-632, 7 May 2009, Bags Targeted for Extinction in California,” available at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/ Sacramento Bee, 25 August 2008. pub.php?id=01030 27. Los Angeles County Department of Public 19. Lisa Stiffler, “Orcas So Full of Pollutants, It’s Works, Environmental Programs Division, An Enough to Sicken Them: One Chemical Lingers Overview of Carryout Bags in Los Angeles County: Staff Despite 30-Year-Old Ban,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Report to the Board of Supervisors, August 2007. 10 October 2007, available at www.seattlepi.com/ local/article/Orcas-so-full-of-pollutants-it-s-enough- 28. Ramola Talwar Badam, “Maharashtra Bans to-1252155.php. Plastic Bags,” Rediff.com, 24 August 2005.

20. Estimate based on 360 bags used per person per 29. Joe Eskenazi, “Baggage: The City’s Politicos year, per: Elizabeth Royte, Garbage Land: On the Made the Enviros Happy by Banning Plastic Bags, Secret Trail of Trash, (Little, Brown and Company, but Left Us with More Pollution and Cost,” SF New York, NY) 13 July 2005, multiplied by the Weekly, 7 January 2009. population of the state of Washington, per U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census, May 2011. 30. The Canadian Press, “Anti-Plastic Bag Movement Growing as Residents Adapt to New 21. Seattle Public Utilities, City of Seattle Disposable Laws,” CBC News Canada, 21 April 2008. Shopping Bags Green Fee and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Foam Food Container Ban, 18 June 2008. 31. These policies are not uniform. Some affect bags of certain thicknesses, or from certain types and 22. sizes of retail outlets. The purpose of this report is to note the existence of bag ban policies in a variety of HDPE plastic film was recycled at a rate locations across the world, and not to compare the of 6.1% in 2009. This number is most likely relative strengths and weaknesses of these policies. artificially inflated for plastic bags since the United States Environmental Unless otherwise noted, the sources for all bag ban study did not separate plastic bags from other Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste in the policies and adoption dates are: State of Florida, HDPE plastic film. United States, 2009, available at Department of Environmental Protection, The Retail Bags Report: List of Retail Bag Policies, updated http://www. f 28 January 2011, available at www.dep.state.fl.us/ epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/ waste/retailbags/pages/mapsandlists.htm; and Jennie msw2009rpt.pd23. Ocean Conservancy, Tracking Trash: 25 Years of R. Romer, Esq., PlasticBagLaws.org, Legislation, Action for the Ocean, 2011. downloaded from plasticbaglaws.org/legislation/ on 24. A. McIlgorm, HF Campbell, and MJ Rule, 7 June 2011. Understanding the Economic Benefits and Costs of 32. Johane Dikgang and Martine Visser, Resources Controlling Marine Debris in the APEC Region, A for the Future, “Behavioral Response to Plastic

Notes 17 Bag Legislation in Botswana,” Environment for 41. “Chandigarh (India) Bag Ban,” Plastic Free Development Discussion Paper Series, EfDDP 10-13, Times, undated, downloaded from plasticfreetimes. May 2010. com/~plasticf/chandigarh-india-bag-ban on 8 June 2011. 33. Free bags have been outlawed since 2009. Now all plastic bags will be banned by 2013. See Richard 42. Sindh Governor House, Islamic Republic Higgs, “Balkan Republic of Macedonia Bans Plastic of Pakistan, Manufacture, Sale and Use of Plastic Bags,” Plastics and Rubber Weekly, 4 February 2011. Polyethylene Bags Banned, 3 February 2006, available at www.governorsindh.gov.pk/pressrelease/news. 34. United Nations, Mongolia National Report asp?id=1325. on Sustainable Development for the 18th Session of the Commission on SD, February 2010, available 43. United News of India, “Only 40 Micros at www.un.org/esa/dsd/dsd_aofw_ni/ni_pdfs/ Plastic Bags in Meghalaya from October 2,” Waste NationalReports/mongolia/Full_text.pdf. Management World, 30 August 2011, available at www.waste-management-world.com/index/from- 35. “PNG Government Bans Plastic Bags,” Pacific the-wires/wire-news-display/1489999151.html. Business Online, 3 October 2009. 44. These policies are not uniform. Some affect bags 36. These policies are not uniform. Some affect bags of certain thicknesses, or from certain types and of certain thicknesses, or from certain types and sizes of retail outlets. The purpose of this report is to sizes of retail outlets. The purpose of this report is to note the existence of bag ban policies in a variety of note the existence of bag ban policies in a variety of locations across the world, and not to compare the locations across the world, and not to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of these policies. relative strengths and weaknesses of these policies. Unless otherwise noted, the sources for all bag ban Unless otherwise noted, the sources for all bag ban policies and adoption dates are: State of Florida, policies and adoption dates are: State of Florida, Department of Environmental Protection, The Department of Environmental Protection, The Retail Bags Report: List of Retail Bag Policies, updated Retail Bags Report: List of Retail Bag Policies, updated 28 January 2011, available at www.dep.state.fl.us/ 28 January 2011, available at www.dep.state.fl.us/ waste/retailbags/pages/mapsandlists.htm; and Jennie waste/retailbags/pages/mapsandlists.htm; and Jennie R. Romer, Esq., PlasticBagLaws.org, Legislation, R. Romer, Esq., PlasticBagLaws.org, Legislation, downloaded from plasticbaglaws.org/legislation/ on downloaded from plasticbaglaws.org/legislation/ on 7 June 2011. 7 June 2011. 45. According to the Florida DEP, at least 30 37. Rural Municipality of Eriksdale, By-Law 07- coastal communities in Alaska have banned bags to 2008, 9 December 2008, available at www.eriksdale. reduce litter and protect wildlife, including seals and com/data/policies/MicrosoftWord-BL_07_2008_ salmon. See note 37. Bethel: City of Bethel, Alaska, PLASTIC_SHOPPING_BAGS1.pdf Ordinance #09-12, Passed 23 June 2009.

38. Rural Municipality of Coldwell, Notices: 46. Karen James, “Telluride Is the First Community Elimination of Single Use Plastic Shopping Bags in the in Colorado to Ban Plastic Bags,” The Watch, 7 RM of Coldwell and Lud of Lundar, 1 October 2008, October 2010. available at www.lundar.ca/notices_detail.asp?ID=67. 47. Wendy Carlson, “Westport First in State to Ban 39. Ramola Talwar Badam, “Maharashtra Bans Plastic Bags,” New York Times, 26 September 2008. Plastic Bags,” Rediff.com, 24 August 2005. 48. Associated Press, “Iowa County Joins San 40. Government of Himachal Pradesh, Himachal Francisco in Bag Ban,” The Street.com, 8 April 2009. Poised to Become Polythene Free from 15th August (press release), 27 July 2009.

18 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound 49. This policy is the only bag ban in the United Times, 28 July 2009, available at seattletimes. States to date that was created by a state legislature. nwsource.com/html/politics/2009555416_ It only applies to the Outer Banks of North bagban29m.html. Carolina, so we grouped it with local government policies. 59. John Stark, “City Council Approves Plastic Shopping Bag Ban,” The Bellingham Herald, 13 50. “Southampton Village Bans Plastic Bags,” CBS July 2011, available at www.bellinghamherald. New York / Associated Press, 28 April 2011. com/2011/07/11/2098162/city-council-approves- plastic.html. 51. Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County Code, Chapter 301, Food Labeling and Packaging 60. State of Florida, Department of Environmental Article II, Uniform Packaging Practices for Retail Food Protection, Retail Bags Report for the Legislature, 1 Establishments, Adopted 29 March 1998, available February 2010; S. McDonnell, F. Convery & S. at www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Suffolk-Co-NY-Ban. Ferreira, The Irish Plastic Bag Levy - A Review of Its htm. Performance Five Years On, undated, available at www. webmeets.com/files/papers/EAERE/2008/294/ 52. Lynn Brezosky, “South Padre Bans Single-Use Plastic%20Bags%20-Irish%20Levy%20-%20 Plastic Bags,” San Antonio Express-News, 19 January EAERE%20PAPER%202008.pdf. 2011. 61. Lauren Markoe, NRDC, “How D.C. Beat the 53. Robert A. McDonald, “SLO Council Mulls Plastic Bag Lobby,” On Earth, 11 November 2010. Disposable Bags,” New Times 26(6), 7 September 2011, available at www.newtimesslo.com/ 62. As cited by: Surfrider Foundation, Ban the Bag: news/6588/slo-council-mulls-disposable-bags/ Washington D.C., A Success Story, downloaded from ww2.surfrider.org/dc/plastics.html, 27 June 2011. 54. Barbara Diamond, “Plastic Bag Ban to Be Developed; City Council Votes for City Staff 63. State of Florida, Department of Environmental to Begin Work on Ordinance that Would Ban Protection, Retail Bags Report for the Legislature, 1 the Bags Throughout Laguna,” Laguna Beach February 2010; S. McDonnell, F. Convery & S. Coastline Pilot, 8 September 2011, available at Ferreira, The Irish Plastic Bag Levy - A Review of Its www.coastlinepilot.com/news/tn-cpt-0909- Performance Five Years On, undated, available at www. plasticbag-20110908,0,2212134.story. webmeets.com/files/papers/EAERE/2008/294/ Plastic%20Bags%20-Irish%20Levy%20-%20 55. WeHo News Staff, “WeHo Bans Plastic Bags; EAERE%20PAPER%202008.pdf. LA Goes Further,” WeHo News 7(2), 8 September 2011, available at wehonews.com/z/wehonews/ 64. Mary O’Loughlin, Fulbright Research Fellow, archive/page.php?articleID=6465. B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bag): A Comprehensive Assessment of China’s Plastic Bag Policy, 17 February 56. Danny Wool, “Santa Cruz County Bags 2011, available at digitalcommons.law.umaryland. on Bags,” Santa Cruz News, 14 September edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=stu 2011, available at http://news.santacruz. dent_pubs. com/2011/09/14/santa_cruz_county_bags_on_ bags 65. These policies are not uniform. Some fees and 57. Carolyn Sackariason, “Plastic bag to be taxes apply to plastic bags. Others apply to paper banned at Aspen grocery stores,” Aspen Daily bags as an added price signal complementing a ban News, 12 October 2011, available at http://www. on plastic bags. Some apply to consumers at the aspendailynews.com/section/home/149561 point of sale. Others apply to retailers upstream in 58. Lynn Thompson, “Edmonds is First City in the supply chain. The purpose of this report is to State to Ban Plastic Grocery Bags,” The Seattle note the existence of these policies in a variety of

Notes 19 locations across the world, and not to compare the 69. City of Hong Kong, Product Eco- Responsibility relative strengths and weaknesses of these policies. Ordinance, Ordinance Number 32 of 2008, July Unless otherwise noted, the sources for all policies 2008, available at www.epd.gov.hk/epd/psb/files/ and adoption dates are: State of Florida, Department PER_Ordinance_Eng.pdf. of Environmental Protection, The Retail Bags Report: List of Retail Bag Policies, updated 28 January 2011, 70. Dan Magestro, “Plastic Bag Obsession,” The available at www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/retailbags/ Lantern: Ohio State Student Newspaper, 31 October pages/mapsandlists.htm; and Jennie R. Romer, Esq., 2005. PlasticBagLaws.org, Legislation, downloaded from 71. Heal the Bay, List of Countries with Plastic Bag plasticbaglaws.org/ legislation/ on 7 June 2011. Fees and Bans, 20 November 2009. 66. Johane Dikgang and Martine Visser, Resources 72. Johane Dikgang, Anthony Leiman and Martine for the Future, “Behavioral Response to Plastic Visser, University of Cape Town, Analysis of the Bag Legislation in Botswana,” Environment for Plastic Bag Levy in South Africa, Policy Paper 18, July Development Discussion Paper Series, EfDDP 10-13, 2010. May 2010. 73. The Canadian Press, “Anti-Plastic Bag 67. Mary O’Loughlin, Fulbright Research Fellow, Movement Growing as Residents Adapt to New B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bag): A Comprehensive Laws,” CBC News Canada, 21 April 2008. Assessment of China’s Plastic Bag Policy, 17 February 2011, available at digitalcommons.law.umaryland. 74. “Andalucia Announced 10 Cent Tax on Plastic edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=stu Bags from Jan 1st,” TheReader.es, 30 October 2010. dent_pubs. 75. Kitt Doucette, “The Plastic Bag Wars: The 68. Denmark also taxes wasteful packaging and waste World Consumes 1 Million Plastic Shopping Bags delivered to landfills to encourage more sustainable Every Minute – and the Industry Is Fighting Hard use of resources by product manufacturers and to Keep It that Way,” Rolling Stone, 4 August 2011. retailers.

20 Keeping Plastic out of Puget Sound