Why don’t retailers and businesses convert to biodegradable plastic bags?

They are up to 20% to 100% more expensive than petrochemical plastics, and although they are marketed as more eco-friendly solutions able to break down into harmless material more quickly than traditional plastics, in reality they do not. 

In a recent study published in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers put supposedly eco-friendly bags made from various organic and plastic materials and sourced from U.K. stores to the test. After being buried for three years in garden soil, submerged in ocean water, exposed to open light and air, or stashed in a laboratory, none of the bags broke down completely in all environments. In fact, the biodegradable bags that had been left underwater in a marina could still hold a full load of groceries. Read more here.

Show All Answers

1. What are the key reasons behind the Township’s ban on single-use plastic bags and straws?
2. When does the ban go into effect?
3. Which businesses does this affect?
4. What is actually banned?
5. What kind of bags can businesses provide?
6. Does the 40 % recycled content rule apply to all paper bags?
7. Are there any exemptions?
8. What are the signage requirements?
9. Do I have to get rid of my existing stock of plastic bags?
10. Can businesses charge customers for bags?
11. What are the fines for non-compliance?
12. What is the financial cost of this ban to taxpayers?
13. Would a fee or tax on single-use bags have the same effect as a ban?
14. Why don’t retailers and businesses convert to biodegradable plastic bags?
15. Milk, produce, meat, and cold products need plastic bags to protect them from sweating. Will I still be able to get plastic bags for these items?
16. I take my single-use plastic bags back to the grocery store to discard in established recycle bins. Is this considered a proper disposal method?