Starting March 1, New York is set to join a handful of other states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine and Vermont, in banning the use of disposable plastic bags at commercial locations.
The law even goes further, mandating that shops charge a 5-cent paper bag fee. It’s a good step, but Americans will need to do much more than that to wean ourselves off the plastic waste that the U.S. produces. According to many studies, we use — and dispose of — more plastic than any other nation on the planet.
According to a 2019 analysis by the global risk consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft, the average American produces 234 pounds of plastic waste per year, and only 35 percent of our municipal waste is recycled. Compare that to Germany, which recycles 68 percent of its waste.
The same study found that despite having just 4 percent of the world’s population, America produces 12 percent of the world’s solid waste. China and India, on the other hand, despite accounting for more than 36 percent of the world’s population, produce 27 percent of the planet’s waste.
The firm concluded that the U.S. is the only developed country in the world whose waste production far outstrips its ability to recycle, and that it suffers from a “shortage of political will and investment in infrastructure” to address its waste problem head-on.
• Buy reusable shopping bags. There might be an added inconvenience of bringing them to and from your car, but they are the only way to avoid the incoming bag fees, and are environmentally friendly.
• Compost: Up to 40 percent of food in the U.S. is wasted, according to the Department of Agriculture. Cut down on that by starting a compost pile, or purchasing a composting tumbler. Either has the added benefit of fertilizing gardens and house plants.
• Buy and sell used items at thrift shops. You save money, and you can feel good that your items might have a second lease on life.
• Give it away. Donate your clothes and toys to organizations like Big Brother, Big Sister.
• Make shopping lists. Impulse buys are notorious for creating waste. Whether it’s food or some frivolous electronic item, more than likely you don’t need it, and shopping lists help keep you on track.
• Buy in bulk. This helps cut down on packaging waste.