Boulder strengthens rules against plastic bags – but do bans and fines actually reduce waste?
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
Eleanor Putnam-Farr, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
(THE CONVERSATION) Boulder, Colorado, passed stricter regulationsagainst plastic bags at the beginning of 2024, banning them from all retail stores. The tougher rule builds on a 2013 local law that banned plastic bags from grocery stores and began charging shoppers 10 cents for every paper bag they required at checkout. The new law, part of the state’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, also prohibits restaurants and retail food establishments from using Styrofoam takeout containers.
The Conversation interviewed Eleanor Putnam-Farr, an assistant professor of marketing at Rice University and co-author of “Forgot Your Bottle or Bag Again? How Well-Placed Reminder Cues Can Help Consumers Build Sustainable Habits,” about the challenges of changing people’s behavior – even when their intentions are good.
How popular are plastic bag bans and taxes?
Laws like Boulder’s are popular. Twelve states, plus...