Starting July 16, Malvern Borough will ban single-use plastic carry-out bags at checkout in all commercial establishments. Businesses may offer paper bags (with at least 40% recycled content), reusable bags, or certified compostable bags—and they’re allowed to charge customers up to 15 cents per bag. While this ordinance might sound like a win for the environment, it’s more about political theater than meaningful progress.
A tiny fraction of the problem
Plastic carry-out bags are a highly visible target, but they represent less than 1% of municipal solid waste in the United States. In fact, according to the EPA, bags, sacks, and wraps combined account for roughly 0.5% of total landfill waste. Malvern’s ordinance zeroes in on a fraction of a fraction, ignoring the far larger and more pressing sources of plastic pollution, like packaging films, construction plastics, and synthetic textiles.
Reusable bags: More harm than good?
Banning lightweight plastic bags doesn’t eliminate plastic use—it often increases it. After California enacted its bag ban, the overall volume of plastic used for bags jumped by nearly 50% because consumers turned to thicker “reusable” plastic bags. A similar effect was seen in New Jersey, where people began buying heavier trash bags to replace the free thin ones they once reused for garbage or pet waste.
Environmental cost of alternatives
Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) consistently show that paper and reusable bags come with steep environmental trade-offs. A standard paper bag must be reused at least 43 times to match the carbon footprint of a single thin plastic bag. Cotton totes? Over 7,000 uses. Even so-called “reusable” polypropylene bags need at least 23 reuses to break even, and most consumers don’t come close to those numbers. Instead, people stockpile “reusable” bags in closets and trunks, undermining the very goals these bans claim to support.
Feel-good policy, minimal impact
Proponents argue that bag bans reduce litter, and there is some truth to that. Shoreline cleanups have shown plastic bag litter can drop by up to 47% in certain areas. But that’s hardly the whole picture. Bags were never a top contributor to marine plastic debris by weight, and overall plastic waste continues to rise despite local bans. In reality, these ordinances distract from more effective, system-wide solutions, like investing in advanced recycling, tackling microplastics from textiles, and enacting producer responsibility laws that hold manufacturers accountable.
Regressive costs on consumers
While residents might feel good carrying paper or reusable bags, they’re paying for that feel-good moment—literally. A per-bag fee disproportionately affects lower-income shoppers, turning an environmental issue into a regressive tax. Meanwhile, businesses often get to keep the extra revenue or offset costs without delivering measurable environmental benefits.
What Malvern should do instead
Of course, some solutions discussed, like extended producer responsibility laws or major recycling infrastructure, are best implemented at the state or regional level. However, there are still practical steps Malvern can take locally:
- Apply a fair, material-neutral fee on all types of carry-out bags instead of banning just one material.
- Advocate for Chester County and state-level investment in advanced recycling and waste infrastructure.
- Lead by example by eliminating single-use plastics at borough events and in municipal purchasing policies.
- Educate residents on real environmental impacts and encourage voluntary reuse and reduction practices rather than relying on feel-good bans.
The bottom line
Malvern’s plastic bag ban is more about scoring easy political points than delivering real environmental results. By targeting a small, highly visible piece of the waste stream, the borough misses a chance to promote meaningful, evidence-based solutions. It’s time to move beyond symbolic gestures and focus on changes that truly help the environment.
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