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CNN
a day ago
- Health
- CNN
Plastic shopping bag policies are actually working, a new study suggests
Sign up for CNN's Life, But Greener newsletter. Our limited newsletter series guides you on how to minimize your personal role in the climate crisis — and reduce your eco-anxiety. That extra fee at the grocery store for a plastic shopping bag isn't just an inconvenience –– it is actually making a difference for marine ecosystems, according to a new study. Policies that ban or impose fees on plastic bags are associated with a 25% to 47% decrease in plastic bag litter in shoreline cleanups, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. Plastic litter is a big risk to the health of marine ecosystems, and the problem is growing, said lead study author Dr. Anna Papp, an environmental economist and incoming postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The United States has no federal-level policy on plastic bags, so researchers analyzed 180 local programs, including full bans, fees on shopping bags and partial bans –– which sometimes have special regulations such as requiring thicker plastics to make shopping bags reusable. Researchers then analyzed data from more than 45,000 US shoreline cleanups to compare the litter before and after the policy was passed as well as the differences between areas with and without a policy, Papp said. 'The main finding is that these policies led to a decrease in plastic bags as a share of total items collected,' she said. Other studies have shown that plastic bag policies affect how many bags consumers use, said Dr. Erin Murphy, manager of Ocean Plastics Research for the Ocean Conservancy. But this most recent research 'really takes it to the next level, showing it's not only reducing the amount of bags we're using, but it's actually achieving our broader objectives of environmental cleanliness,' she said. Plastic bag pollution is harmful to both animals and humans. On beaches or other outdoor spaces, plastic pollution can have a negative impact on tourism or the value of spending time in nature, Papp said. Plastic bag litter is particularly dangerous to marine animals for two reasons, Murphy said. First, they enter the environment more easily than other types of plastic. 'They're hard to recycle, they're single-use, and they're lightweight, and so they blow very easily in the wind. Even if we're trying to properly manage them, it's easy for them to escape waste management systems and get into the environment,' she said. Second, once they enter the environment, plastic bags can lead to population-level effects on marine species, Murphy said. Many species, including marine mammals and sea turtles, will eat the plastic bags, obstructing the gastrointestinal tract and preventing them from eating until they die, she said. Plastic bags can also entangle wildlife, keeping hatchling sea turtles from reaching the ocean and shading coral reefs, all of which can lead to disease and death for marine species. 'In 2024 alone, our International Coastal Cleanup volunteers cleaned up over 500,000 grocery bags from the environment and 500,000 other plastic bags, totaling more than a million different plastic bag types from the environment,' Murphy said. 'They're always in our top 10 items found in the environment, and that alone is an issue.' While bans and fees on plastic bags are helping, they are not eradicating the problem, Papp said. 'Plastic pollution is a growing global problem,' she said. 'The overall percentage of plastic bags is still increasing … This increase is just slower in places with policies.' The evidence suggests some policies are more effective than others: Full bans made a bigger impact than partial bans, and fees seemed better than bans, said study coauthor Dr. Kimberly Oremus, an associate professor at the University of Delaware School of Marine Science and Policy. 'One hypothesis is that in at least some cases, the revenue from fees is being used to further reduce litter. In Washington, DC, for example, they use the revenue from plastic bag fees to clean up river shorelines,' Oremus said. However, the hypothesis has not been investigated, and there is not yet enough data to say for sure that fees are more effective than bans, she said. More must likely be done outside of these policies as well, Papp said. The United States needs regulations not just on the consumption of plastic bags but also on the production and supply of them, she added. There are also steps you can take so your plastic shopping bag doesn't end up in the environment, Papp said. For one, if you do use a plastic bag, don't let it fly away and create litter. Then, properly dispose of it — for example, you can take it to a plastic bag recycling station, she said. And you can always go back to the three R's, said Dr. Rebecca Taylor, an assistant professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. Reduce the number of plastic bags you use, reuse them when you can and recycle them when you must.
CNN
a day ago
- Health
- CNN
Plastic shopping bag policies are actually working, a new study suggests
Sign up for CNN's Life, But Greener newsletter. Our limited newsletter series guides you on how to minimize your personal role in the climate crisis — and reduce your eco-anxiety. That extra fee at the grocery store for a plastic shopping bag isn't just an inconvenience –– it is actually making a difference for marine ecosystems, according to a new study. Policies that ban or impose fees on plastic bags are associated with a 25% to 47% decrease in plastic bag litter in shoreline cleanups, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. Plastic litter is a big risk to the health of marine ecosystems, and the problem is growing, said lead study author Dr. Anna Papp, an environmental economist and incoming postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The United States has no federal-level policy on plastic bags, so researchers analyzed 180 local programs, including full bans, fees on shopping bags and partial bans –– which sometimes have special regulations such as requiring thicker plastics to make shopping bags reusable. Researchers then analyzed data from more than 45,000 US shoreline cleanups to compare the litter before and after the policy was passed as well as the differences between areas with and without a policy, Papp said. 'The main finding is that these policies led to a decrease in plastic bags as a share of total items collected,' she said. Other studies have shown that plastic bag policies affect how many bags consumers use, said Dr. Erin Murphy, manager of Ocean Plastics Research for the Ocean Conservancy. But this most recent research 'really takes it to the next level, showing it's not only reducing the amount of bags we're using, but it's actually achieving our broader objectives of environmental cleanliness,' she said. Plastic bag pollution is harmful to both animals and humans. On beaches or other outdoor spaces, plastic pollution can have a negative impact on tourism or the value of spending time in nature, Papp said. Plastic bag litter is particularly dangerous to marine animals for two reasons, Murphy said. First, they enter the environment more easily than other types of plastic. 'They're hard to recycle, they're single-use, and they're lightweight, and so they blow very easily in the wind. Even if we're trying to properly manage them, it's easy for them to escape waste management systems and get into the environment,' she said. Second, once they enter the environment, plastic bags can lead to population-level effects on marine species, Murphy said. Many species, including marine mammals and sea turtles, will eat the plastic bags, obstructing the gastrointestinal tract and preventing them from eating until they die, she said. Plastic bags can also entangle wildlife, keeping hatchling sea turtles from reaching the ocean and shading coral reefs, all of which can lead to disease and death for marine species. 'In 2024 alone, our International Coastal Cleanup volunteers cleaned up over 500,000 grocery bags from the environment and 500,000 other plastic bags, totaling more than a million different plastic bag types from the environment,' Murphy said. 'They're always in our top 10 items found in the environment, and that alone is an issue.' While bans and fees on plastic bags are helping, they are not eradicating the problem, Papp said. 'Plastic pollution is a growing global problem,' she said. 'The overall percentage of plastic bags is still increasing … This increase is just slower in places with policies.' The evidence suggests some policies are more effective than others: Full bans made a bigger impact than partial bans, and fees seemed better than bans, said study coauthor Dr. Kimberly Oremus, an associate professor at the University of Delaware School of Marine Science and Policy. 'One hypothesis is that in at least some cases, the revenue from fees is being used to further reduce litter. In Washington, DC, for example, they use the revenue from plastic bag fees to clean up river shorelines,' Oremus said. However, the hypothesis has not been investigated, and there is not yet enough data to say for sure that fees are more effective than bans, she said. More must likely be done outside of these policies as well, Papp said. The United States needs regulations not just on the consumption of plastic bags but also on the production and supply of them, she added. There are also steps you can take so your plastic shopping bag doesn't end up in the environment, Papp said. For one, if you do use a plastic bag, don't let it fly away and create litter. Then, properly dispose of it — for example, you can take it to a plastic bag recycling station, she said. And you can always go back to the three R's, said Dr. Rebecca Taylor, an assistant professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. Reduce the number of plastic bags you use, reuse them when you can and recycle them when you must.
The National
a day ago
- Science
- The National
Bans and fees cut plastic bag waste in the environment, study reveals
Stricter plastic bag policies have cut the amount of litter in the environment, a US study has found, which could indicate the UAE may also see improvements thanks to its own restrictions. The research found that in areas of the US where restrictions had been introduced, plastic bags accounted for a reduced proportion of shoreline waste. More than 100 countries have imposed plastic bag bans or fees, and while these have reduced consumption, researchers behind the new paper said that until now their effectiveness at actually cutting plastic waste in the environment had not been confirmed. Scientists looked at data from more than 45,000 shoreline clean-up operations in the US and measured this alongside the plastic bag policies that were in place. They considered hundreds of statewide and more localised plastic rules brought in between 2017 and 2023. They found that in areas with restrictions, there was a 25 per cent to 47 per cent decrease in plastic bags as a share of all waste collected, compared to areas without limits. One of the study's two authors, Dr Anna Papp, of Columbia University in New York, told The National she was 'surprised to see how effective plastic bag policies have been in reducing plastic bag shoreline litter', given that many factors – such as consumer behaviour and waste management – influenced a plastic bag's journey. 'However, it's important to note that these policies don't completely eliminate plastic bags in the environment but do help mitigate it,' she added. Fees not fines The other author, Dr Kimberly Oremus, an associate professor at the University of Delaware, said the results suggested fees for plastic bags may be more effective than bans. 'We can only say definitively that both [fees and bans] are effective,' she said. 'And both full bans and fees are more effective than partial bans. 'We hypothesise that fees may cover more retailers than full bans, such as take-out bags from restaurants, and fees can be used as revenue to clean-up shorelines.' The study also indicates that wildlife entanglement might fall between 30 per cent and 37 per cent when plastic bag policies are in place, although the researchers said they had limited data on this. Other scientists not linked to the new study have backed up its findings. Dr Marcus Eriksen, co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute, a US-based organisation that researches plastic pollution and works to reduce it, said the effects of plastic bag policies had been seen in southern California, where he lives. 'I witnessed the 10-year battle to ban plastic bags across the state,' he said. 'There were sceptics about the effectiveness, but the data came in from shoreline clean-ups and we saw a significant decline in plastic bags present, not only in coastal clean-ups but in municipal data on roadside clean-ups.' Turning the tide The UAE is one of many countries where restrictions have significantly reduced plastic bag use, with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi having said a ban on single-use plastic bags in the emirate introduced on June 1, 2022 cut the number entering circulation by 364,000. Initiatives to recover and recycle plastic bottles have also been brought in. A ban on single-use plastic bags has been in force in all emirates since 2023, alongside restrictions on other plastic items. Dr Eriksen has previously researched the effect of plastic pollution in the UAE, co-writing a study showing that in many camels, large amounts of plastic, including ropes and bags, have accumulated in their stomachs. He said manufacturers should have to bear some costs associated with the entire lifecycle of plastic bags. 'A good EPR [extended producer responsibility] scheme whereby bag manufacturers contribute to a clean-up fund, in combination with a bag fee, would go a long way to eliminating bag use,' he said. While the latest research indicates that restrictions reduce plastic bag litter, Dr Papp warned this was 'only a small part of the larger plastic pollution problem'. 'Our results show that bag policies' effects are limited to reducing plastic bags and not other plastic items, so they are nowhere close to a solution for eliminating plastic waste in the environment,' she said. 'Addressing the production of plastics alongside consumption and waste, as currently under consideration in the UN Plastics Treaty, is likely crucial for a more comprehensive approach.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Rare peninsula lands saved from development
A 29 hectare plot of rare shoreline land along the Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula will never be developed, after being purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. (Source: Esme Batten, Nature Conservancy of Canada) A rare section of the Lake Huron shoreline along the Bruce Peninsula will never be developed, thanks to a more than $3-million investment by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. 'The N.C.C.(Nature Conservancy of Canada) is in the forever business. So, we're going to be stewarding this property in perpetuity,' says Esme Batten, program director for the midwestern Ontario division of the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The 72 acre (29 hectare) property, called China Cove, is located just west of Tobermory. It's home to rare and at-risk species of several animals and plants, says Batten. It also protects nearly one kilometre of incredibly valuable Lake Huron shoreline, from development, forever. 'It really presents one of the last opportunities to protect Lake Huron shoreline on the Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula. We only have about eight kilometers left that's unprotected or not developed on the northern part of the peninsula. These undisturbed shorelines are really important for helping clean our water. But, they're also really important for many species, including fish, like lake trout and whitefish that kind of spawn in those shore waters,' says Batten. china cove A 29 hectare plot of rare shoreline land along the Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula will never be developed, after being purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. (Source: Esme Batten, Nature Conservancy of Canada) The funding to buy the property came from private donors, along with the provincial and federal government. 'When I am meeting with colleagues at Queen's Park and they realize where I am from, they always recall Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound for its stunning natural beauty and heritage. I am so pleased to see community and nature come together to see China Cove be protected for generations to come. I would specifically like to recognize the donors behind this project, for whom this is certainly not possible,' says Paul Vickers, member of provincial parliament for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, which includes the now protected property. The area previously known as China Cove will be renamed Aah Mahwi Nibi or Crying Water, to remember the shipwreck, the China. china cove A 29 hectare plot of rare shoreline land along the Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula will never be developed, after being purchased by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. (Source: Esme Batten, Nature Conservancy of Canada) 'The Aah Mahwi Nibi project will permanently protect 72 acres of land on the Saugeen-Bruce Peninsula, which is about the size of 180 NHL hockey rinks. With the help of the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program and local partners across Ontario, we are providing more opportunities for people to explore the many incredible outdoor spaces and hidden gems that our province has to offer,' says Todd McCarthy, federal minister of the environment, conservation and parks. The now protected property is located near a famous shipwreck, the China, which wrecked offshore in 1883. Scuba divers will still be able to access the wreck, but the shoreline near it, will now be studied by researchers, before deciding if the property will be opened to the public, or simply protected, for decades to come. Before it's purchase by N.C.C., the 29 hectare property was slated for the construction of, as many as seven homes. 'This property actually abuts Fathom Five Marine National Park, which is really exciting. So, say you're a bird along your migration. The Peninsula acts as almost a funnel for those species kind of going to the Boreal Forest further north. So you could stop off and an N.C.C. property down in Norfolk County, and then that bird could stop at Crying Water to kind of rest and feed, and then continue along other kind of conservation land along the north shore of Lake Superior to the boreal,' says Batten.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Waters in Goa's lakes, borewells polluted: GSPCB
Panaji: The Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) stated that the water of lakes, wells, borewells, estuaries, and coastal waters in the state is polluted, but the water quality of rivers and waterfalls meets prescribed standards. In its annual report released on Thursday, the board mentioned that air quality is good to satisfactory for most of the year from April 2023 to March 2024. The board monitors water quality at 115 locations throughout Goa under the national water quality monitoring programme (NWMP). The water bodies monitored include rivers, wells, canals, lakes, reservoirs, creeks, nallahs, and common STPs (inlet & outlet). Among the rivers, estuarine rivers and freshwater rivers form a part of the riverine network at water intake points for water treatment plants for public water supply. Groundwater sources (borewell water) located within selective major industrial estates are also part of this programme. Besides, selective coastal beach locations (20 coastal shoreline waters) along the coast of Goa are also included under the NWMP network. The 115 locations covered under this programme are distributed throughout Goa, with 54 stations in North Goa and 61 in South Goa. The 115 locations are divided into two groups, which include 107 monitored on a monthly basis and eight (bore wells located in some industrial estates) monitored on a half-yearly basis as per CPCB protocol. A total of 1,263 samples were collected from these locations and analysed during the year 2024-2025. 'NWMP locations categorised under class C (rivers/waterfalls) throughout the state comply with prescribed CPCB standards most of the year. St Inez creek (North Goa) and Bethora nallah (South Goa), categorised in class B, indicate non-compliance with CPCB's prescribed standards most of the year for parameters like DO, BOD, faecal coliform, and faecal streptococci,' the board said. 'For NWMP locations categorised under class E (lakes), parameters namely conductivity and specific absorption ratio do not comply in a few instances in the year, as per CPCB prescribed standards, while all other parameters comply,' the board said. 'For NWMP locations categorised under class A (wells/bore-wells), parameters namely DO and BOD indicate non-compliance most of the year. The majority of the locations classified under SWII (estuaries and Cumbharjua canal), as well as some coastal waters, indicate non-compliance with faecal coliform as per CPCB prescribed water quality standards,' the board said. Under the national air quality monitoring programme (NAMP), the GSPCB monitors 18 ambient air quality monitoring (AAQM) locations within Goa. Besides the 18 AAQM locations, the board monitors an additional location at the fire brigade station, MPT. Out of the 18 NAMP locations, 16 locations are outsourced to laboratories recognised by the Union environment ministry, and three stations' sampling and analysis are conducted by the board's staff. Parameters like particulate matter (PM10), particulate matter (PM2.5), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and nitrous oxide (NO2) have been monitored at all the stations. 'Air quality in Goa, as per locations monitored for the period April 2024 to March 2025, is good to satisfactory for the maximum time of the year. However, it is satisfactory to moderate for industrial estates like Cuncolim, Tuem, Bicholim, Vasco, Baina, and Kundaim. The field observations around the monitoring locations indicate the prominence of anthropogenic activities like vehicular movements, construction activities, and road digging,' said GSPCB. There are six AQI categories, namely good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor, and severe, based on eight pollutants. The good to satisfactory air quality category may cause minor breathing discomfort to some people. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
