Local laws that impose a ban or charge for plastic shopping bags are linked to a 25-47 percent reduction in plastic bag litter found during coastline cleanups, according to new research in the peer-reviewed journal Science, reports UNN with reference to The Independent.
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Researchers found a reduction in plastic bags along all bodies of water, but data suggest that plastic bag policies have the greatest effect along lakes.
The study also shows that some plastic bag policies are more effective than others. Full bans and fees are more effective than partial bans, likely due to exceptions for thicker plastic bags, the authors write.
Anna Papp, one of the authors, an environmental economist and research associate at MIT, told The New York Times that the study shows that plastic bag numbers reliably decrease when local legislators enact policies.
Researchers found that the number of plastic shopping bags scattered along coastlines in areas with bans and regulations decreased by 25-47 percent.
"That's... really what happens again and again," Papp said.
Environmental scientist Dr. Zoë Diana told The Times that the study shows this reduction in plastic bags "wouldn't have happened otherwise... these measures work."
Plastic bag bans and charges are becoming increasingly popular. According to the study, over 100 countries regulate the use of bags, and 175 countries are negotiating to create the first-ever global treaty on plastic bags.
Dr. Erin Murphy, manager of ocean plastic research at Ocean Conservancy, told CNN that plastic bags are more dangerous to marine life than other types of litter.
This is because they are light and more easily carried into the environment, Murphy noted. Plastic bags can also kill animals that eat them or get tangled in them.
"They're hard to recycle, they're single-use, and they're light, so they're very easily windblown," she said. "Even if we try to dispose of them properly, it's easy for them to escape waste management systems and enter the environment."