Around the world, over 200,000 plastic bags are dumped in landfills every hour. Each plastic bag can take anywhere from 20 to 100,000 years to decompose. The ones that don’t end up in landfills are usually carelessly littered in just about every place imaginable. This ultimately creates damaging effects to the environment and the wildlife all over the world. So what is the city of Madison doing to combat this problem?
Starting this year, residents of Madison will be able to participate in a curb-side recycling program for plastic bags. No longer will we have to rely on drop-off bins, which cost the city about $17,800 per year to operate. The Streets Division says it will be accepting plastic grocery, produce and newspaper bags, as well as water softener salt bags, bread bags and other plastic bags marked as #2 plastic or #4 plastic, which they will pick up at your house.
This new initiative is a fantastic start for Wisconsin. Reducing the number of plastic bags that get dumped into landfills and the environment is an excellent way to reduce our carbon footprint. However, Wisconsin is not the first state to start a program like this.
In Santa Cruz County, Calif. an ordinance was passed that prohibits grocery stores, fast-food restaurants and convenience stores from distributing plastic shopping bags. Stores in Santa Cruz County can charge people 10 cents per plastic bag and 25 cents per paper bag if the customer doesn’t bring their own. Other states around the country such as Michigan, Colorado and Idaho are also experimenting with this banning and charging customers for bags. However, Madison is taking a different approach.
By creating a recycling program that is literally no strain on the citizens of Madison, the Streets Division has saved the city, and its residents, money. We don’t have to pay fees for plastic bags and the city doesn’t have to maintain relatively expensive recycling bins. The only thing they ask is that the bags are dry and placed inside larger bags to avoid getting caught in sorting equipment and conveyer belts at the processing facilities.
However, this new ordinance is just the beginning to keeping the earth clean. There is still the problem of paper bags.
Paper bags actually cause a lot more damage to the environment than plastic bags, although it seemingly goes unnoticed. Paper bags, when decomposed, produce a gas called methane, which has 23 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide. This gas is one of the major greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming.
Therefore, I propose that Wisconsin take a page out of California’s book and ban bags all together. We should still keep the recycling program, however, if it is coupled with a statewide ban then there won’t be as many bags to recycle in the first place. This way we give citizens two options—bring their own bags to the store or recycle the ones they have to buy.
It is really quite a simple fix and truly no burden to the consumer. I am from California and have experienced the ban on bags. It’s not a big deal. You can buy durable, cloth-made bags for a buck and use them over and over again. The only hard part is remembering to bring the bags with you to the store.
There should be no excuse why Wisconsin, and every state for that matter, can’t put a ban on bags. There is no downside. Getting rid of bags, even just at grocery stores, will reduce greenhouse gases, physically clean up the environment and save everyone money. If that isn’t the easiest way to go green, I don’t know what is.
I commend Madison for starting a curb-side recycling program like this one. It is a great first step in reducing our carbon footprint on the earth. However, I believe there is even more we can do and I urge lawmakers to consider banning bags, plastic and paper.
Nick is a junior majoring in marketing. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
