Cincinnati’s Plastic Bag Ban
Noelle Ullery
The city of Cincinnati ruled for a ban on plastic bags this past fall, serving as a reminder that we still need to be vigilant with saving the earth. When the pandemic started, it served as a major wake-up call that change within human activity must be the answer to protecting the earth. People across the globe were able to see clearer skies or new mountain ranges due to significant decreases in pollution. Now, it seems the world is reverting back to normal. Plastic waste has increased due to single-use items; it is important for businesses and customers to find alternative ways to stay safe while also protecting the earth.
January 2021 was when the ban of single-use plastic bags in restaurants and food-service establishments went into effect. While there is a clause that states the ban’s exception during a pandemic, it is important to understand that plastic bag waste needs to decrease now. It is estimated that an average American family take 1,500 plastic shopping bags back home. Since about 1% of those bags are returned, an average family only recycles 15 bags a year. Plastic bags are not biodegradable, so they never fully break down. Instead, they take about 500 years to degrade and then create microplastics that continue pollution. By banning plastic bags, the city is attempting to decrease the overarching problem of plastic production and its products of ocean pollution, litter, and microplastic formation.
This may not seem like an issue since Cincinnati is not on the coast. However, it is concerning in a related context regarding negative externalities. The social cost of producing and using plastic bags is higher than the private cost. There is more harm to the earth than the benefit or convenience it provides to the consumer or producer. The externality of producing and distributing single-use plastic bags causes an increase of CO2 emissions, causing unclean air and water.
One way to internalize or minimize pollution is through bans or taxes. In the ordinance Cincinnati created, businesses are required to have a five-cent minimum charge per bag if people do not bring their own bags. (The money goes towards the business, not the city.) People are incentivized when they can save money, so implementing a charge is one of the main ways to internalize pollution as an externality.
This ban only concerns businesses in the restaurant and food-service establishments, including grocery stores, gas stations, and drug stores. However, the ordinance can act as a reinforcer for other businesses and consumers to think about how their current behavior affects the earth.
Cities with Plastic Bag Bans
1. San Francisco, CA (Ban 2007)
2. Washington D.C (Fee 2010)
3. Montgomery County, MD (Fee 2011)
4. Seattle, WA (Ban 2012)
5. Boulder, CO (Fee 2013)
6. Los Angeles, CA (Ban 2014)
7. Portland, Maine (Fee 2015)
8. Chicago, IL (Tax 2017)
9. Boston, MA (Ban 2018)
10. New York City, New York (Ban and Fee 2020)