Statement

D.C. Bag Tax Would Derail Plastic Bag Recycling

ARLINGTON, VA (April 1, 2009) – The Washington, D.C. City Council is considering a proposal that supporters say is designed to improve the water quality of the Anacostia River.  The proposal is in reality, a tax on consumers who choose to accept free carryout bags at grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores – even hot dog vendors.

We agree that litter and the health of the Anacostia are important issues that deserve serious attention.  Plastic doesn’t belong in the waterways, it belongs in the recycling bin. Unfortunately, this misguided proposal would derail plastic bag recycling programs, have little if any effect on litter, and do nothing to improve the Anacostia’s water quality.  And paying this new “food tax” would hit hardest on the poor and seniors in the middle of a recession.

Rather, District residents should be encouraged to bring reusable bags to stores, to reuse carryout bags at home and to return leftover plastic bags to retailers for recycling.  The overwhelming majority of states and localities that have looked at this issue have concluded that recycling is the best way to control litter. 

Cities and states across the country including Austin, California, New York City and Rhode Island are ramping up plastic bag and film recycling, which increased 27 percent from 2005 to 2007.  Plastics are too valuable to waste and should be recycled.  Used plastic bags and film are recycled into new plastic bags and durable plastic lumber for decking and park benches, among other products. 

If the D.C. City Council is receptive to considering an alternative approach to this issue, we will pledge to build a coalition to advance the goal of significantly reducing bag waste in the Anacostia River through the development and implementation of an enhanced recycling program for plastic bags and film.

The Progressive Bag Affiliates (PBA) of the American Chemistry Council and PBA member companies have partnered with states and localities, grocers and retail merchants, recyclers and other stakeholders to help develop programs to recycle plastic bags and wraps. Taxing plastic bags would have the unintended effect of derailing these existing recycling programs that rely on residents to return plastic grocery bags, dry-cleaning bags and many types of product wraps to grocery and retail stores.

Anti-litter efforts should focus on enforcing litter laws and recycling, not raising taxes.  Attempts to regulate the use of plastic bags aren’t an effective means of reducing litter.  A litter audit following San Francisco’s ban on plastic bags revealed that plastic bag litter remained the same: only 0.6% of litter composition.  Instead of taxing its constituents, City Council should focus on preventing and capturing all litter before it enters local waterways.

Litter in the Anacostia is a regional issue.  Instead of punishing people who live and shop in the District, a regional approach that brings together the District, Maryland and Virginia, as well as cooperation with all stakeholders, would have much greater likelihood of success.

About the Progressive Bag Affiliates
The Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council promote the responsible use and recycling of plastic bags. The PBA recycling toolkit is being used by retailers around the nation as a reference for determining the best ways to deploy effective recycling solutions in stores.  For more information, please visit www.plasticbagrecycling.org.