Two months ago, the City of Dallas passed a law that imposed a $.05 dollar tax on the use of bags in commercial sales. This law targeted the overuse of plastic bags, the durable menaces that ubiquitously pollute our roadsides, our landfills, and the even some of the most remote landscapes.
What may seem readily disposable—something to conveniently carry groceries, something to tote the purchases of a recent shopping spree—is actually one of the most resilient materials in existence. Under normal circumstances, a plastic bag takes 10-20 years to decay. The sum of decay rates of all the bags a human might use far surpasses the longevity of a human that will use hundreds of other equally obdurate sacks in a single lifetime.
So, in response to the dangers posed by this compounding problem, the city took action. At a tax of 5 cents, the total cost of a plastic bag roughly doubles. Most stores pay around 5 cents for a bag, and after the tax, consumers will pay the same amount. The magnitude of this cost may appear insignificant, but recent data suggests this tiny charge induces far greater behavioral change across society. According to a recent poll by the Dallas Morning News, the tax enforced by the city has incentivized a rethinking of our rampant use of plastic bags. While consumers continue to grumble and oppose the change, the tax has proven itself an effective tool to mitigate the amount of plastic bags simply tossed aside.
These behavioral changes should be very welcome. Plastic trash can not only disrupt our urban environment in Dallas, but also wreak havoc upon the global environment—and the problem isn’t always what we can see. As a member of the debate team, I have spent the past school year debating non-military exploration and/or development of the Earth’s oceans. This discussion extended to researching the effect of trash on the oceans, arguably the world’s most important asset. Beyond the typical descriptions of the Texas-sized garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean, a description that elicits shock but oddly has yet to lead to action, one of the largest dangers of plastic pollution is the formation of micro-plastics. Formed when the larger plastic structures fall apart, these infinitely more durable, minuscule particles (usually less than 5mm) fill the seas. Looking at the “Great” Pacific Garbage Patch, one might fail to see what is so dangerous, but marine organisms, especially larger species such as whales, ingest these in enormous quantities with potentially disastrous consequences on biodiversity. Micro-plastics can even enter human water supplies and food sources.
Now, a logical counterargument to this is that plastic bags are not at the root of the micro-plastics problem, and that the majority of the waste in the Pacific Ocean is not composed of plastic bags. While neither I nor policymakers are the scientific experts on the issue, this assumption is largely correct, and certainly a Dallas five-cent tax on plastic bags will not necessarily address a problem taking place hundreds of miles away in the ocean. However, the scale of reform should not be the ultimate metric of value. As a city, we have laid a framework for behavioral change in regards to our use of plastics—why not expand on this further? I propose that the City of Dallas should explore options for taxes on plastic water bottles. We have all seen the absurd statistics regarding the wanton overuse of plastic water bottles. The U.S. alone consumes around 1500 plastic water bottles per second. Obviously, logistical problems will arise such as whether or not the tax would include Gatorade bottles or other disposable containers. Or whether the tax could include vending machines (with a tax directly on those who stock the machines) or only be limited to retail establishments. Or even if the tax is legally justified or enforceable. But one thing is certain: our status quo levels of consumption of disposable plastics are unsustainable and should be treated as such.
The tax on plastic bags roughly doubles the cost of the bag. On a comparable level, the cost of a plastic bottle of water could be roughly doubled. Instead of $1.50, the price could be $3. While this is not enough to restrict people’s ability to access fresh water, it might just be enough to incentivize some positive societal change. Ultimately, these problems can be easily fixed. Just bring your bags to the store and carry a refillable bottle of water to school or work. Like Coach Weeks says, “Bring your tank.” The Jesuit weight room may even be more environmentally friendly than vast sections of society.
