Debate over Washington’s ban on single-use plastic bags calls to mind some political wrangling from the 1970s and 1980s.
Of course, discussions about government regulations and efforts to alter consumer behavior are nothing new; they are unavoidable in a democratic society. Critics invariably complain about “social engineering” and make strong arguments in defense of individual freedom. Proponents argue in favor of what they see as the common good.
Taking measure of that good can be difficult — as is the case with flimsy grocery bags. In October 2021, a ban on single-use bags went into effect in Washington with the stated goal of reducing plastic waste. The idea is that shoppers will bring their own reusable bags to the store, or that they will purchase heavier, reusable plastic bags.
A few years after the ban went into effect, Marissa Armstrong of Clark County Public Health, which oversees garbage and recycling services, tells The Columbian: “We do know that plastic bags and plastic wrap continue to be a source of contamination in recycling carts in the county — and the frequency at which we’re seeing that contamination is similar now to before the ban.”
As Columbian reporter Shari Phiel summarizes: “Locally, shoppers may be using fewer plastic bags, but because the reusable bags are heavier, the weight of discarded plastic hasn’t been reduced.”
So, there are benefits and drawbacks to the law, leading to questions about whether the ban is worth the effort. That is what leads us to an examination of history, with the use of seat belts providing some pertinent lessons.
Starting in 1968, federal regulations required the inclusion of seat belts on all new cars. But by the early 1980s, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, only 14 percent of Americans regularly wore seat belts. Some states, therefore, passed laws requiring that drivers and passengers use their belts; the devices were not designed to be decorative, after all.
Some decried the move as government overreach that denies personal freedom. As History.com writes: “Drivers and passengers complained that seat belts were uncomfortable and restrictive, but the uproar over mandatory seat belt laws was mostly ideological.”
Now, every state but New Hampshire (“Live Free or Die”) has a mandatory seat-belt law. Along with safety improvements to roads and vehicles, it has contributed to a sharp reduction in traffic deaths. Since 1970, the per-mile rate of traffic fatalities in the United States has declined 72 percent.
Similar debates have been held over smoking in public spaces and vaccinations and attempts to reduce the use of gas-powered vehicles. Personal freedom should not be lightly disregarded.
Unlike some of those issues, the use of plastic grocery bags is not an immediate life-and-death matter. But reducing single-use plastics has long-term implications for the future of the planet and human health.
As Harvard Public Health writes: “Single-use plastic is everywhere — and only 9 percent of it gets recycled. The rest makes its way into landfills, oceans, and incinerators, where it gradually breaks down into tiny particles small enough to enter our lungs and bloodstreams.”
We can argue whether Washington’s law regarding plastic bags is effective or will ever be fully embraced by the public. We also can argue about how far government should go to influence consumer behavior.
But as history demonstrates, it can take decades for the impact and the influence to be assessed.
