Plastic Bag Ban a Good Step: Professor

It’s been nearly a week since an ordinance banning plastic bags has taken effect in the cities of Evanston and Chicago.

And while there have been mixed reviews from consumers in both municipalities, a Northern Illinois University professor who has studied the matter has outlined to reasoning behind the ban and how it can make a difference.

“There are problems with all plastics,” said Northern Illinois Professor Professor Melissa Lenczewski. “But because plastic shopping bags are given away for free, they become more pervasive in our environment.”

Related on Patch: Evanston’s Plastic Bag Ban Began August 1

Lenczewski, professor of geology and director of NIU’s Institute for the Study of Environment, Sustainability and Energy (ESE), strongly advocates against the use of plastic bags for several reasons, including data indicating Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags each year (all of which end up polluting the environment), the manufacturing of most plastic requires use of oil or natural gas and most people don’t think of the carbon dioxide emissions that go into the production and most of the bags end up in landfills.

“Plastics don’t degrade very quickly and traditional landfills are actually designed to stop decomposition of all trash,” Lenczewski said. “When there are buried layers of plastic bags, they can slide against each other and contribute to slope failures resulting in landfill cave-ins or landslides.”

The ordinance in Evanston prohibits larger retailers (those with 10,000 square-feet or more) from providing or selling the plastic bags to customers, according to the Evanston Review. But a new form of plastic bags is being offered.

Most customers have went along with the change.

“Actually this is better,” Evanston resident Juan Roman said of the new bags being offered. “They’ve got handles.”

Chicago resident Dino Aseoche is fine with his switch to paper, although adding the old plastic bags were great for “picking up dog poop.”

But environmentally, Lenczewski says the best option is “the reusable and washable tote.”

If the new form of plastic bags being offered in reference to the Review article continues, Lenczewski says a charge should be implemented so customers will have an incentive to reuse the same one. 

“There isn’t a perfect option for consumers,” she said. “But the best option is the reusable and washable tote. I have a variety of bags that I carry, including some that were made for me as gifts. And when I go into a store for an item or two and they try to hand me a bag, I say, No, thank you.’ We don’t always need a plastic bag.”