Green science 101: Plastic Bags Are the ‘Best’
With New York’s ban on plastic bags set to start March 1,
John Tierney at The Wall Street Journal cites mounting evidence that such bans are “both a waste of money and harmful to the environment.” Research shows restrictions on plastic bags don’t cut down on litter. Indeed, the bags “aren’t the worst environmental choice at the supermarket — they’re the best”: They’re cheap, light, use few resources and take up little room in landfills. Many people recycle them as trash liners. “That they aren’t biodegradable is a plus, because they don’t release greenhouse gases like decomposing paper and cotton bags.” So if you want to cut carbon emissions, “repeal misguided plastic-bag bans” and send plastic “straight to landfills and incinerators.”
