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Bans on single-use plastic bags in the United States have significantly reduced the number of them found on beaches and in waterways, according to an analysis published Monday by the NGO Ocean Conservancy.
The number of plastic bags found by volunteers participating in an annual beach cleanup initiative (International Coastal Cleanup, or ICC) doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, bans on their use were temporarily lifted.
But the number of plastic bags found then declined in 2022 and 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels (2013-2019). And this while since 2020, the percentage of the American population covered by bans has increased from 12 to 25%.
California was the first state to introduce this rule in 2015.
The bags are “one of the deadliest types of plastic pollution in our oceans“, Anja Brandon, who is in charge of the case at Ocean ConservancyShe welcomed the practical consequences of these bans.
The analysis drew on data from the ICC, an initiative that has been running since 1986, as well as other volunteer cleanup efforts recorded in an app (Clean Swell) or reported to the NGO.
The ICC’s largest database serves scientists, environmental advocates and policymakers. It played a key role in shaping two California plastic pollution laws and in Florida’s balloon ban, passed this year.
Turtles and birds mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and ingest them. This can prevent them from feeding by blocking their stomachs.
The analysis comes ahead of the upcoming International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21 and a new summit of negotiations for an international treaty against plastic waste in South Korea in November.
“Every year, 11 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans, which is more than one garbage truck of plastic every minute.“, recalled Anja Brandon.
“The systemic challenges of plastic pollution are not going to solve themselves” she added. “We need strong and effective policy interventions, we know what they are, we have the data to support them, we just need more of them“.