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Plastic bag legislation in the United States: influential factors on its creation

Author

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  • Liza Bell

    (Environmental Defense Fund)

  • Gina Scutelnicu Todoran

    (Pace University)

Abstract

In trying to address plastic bag pollution, governments around the world have recently adopted legislation that bans or discourages the use of single-use plastic bags. This study examines the variation in types of plastic bag legislation, and the extent to which geographic, socio-economic and political factors contribute to the adoption of single-use plastic bag legislation in the US. Using National Conference of State Legislatures, US Census, and plastic industry data, the study describes how plastic bag legislation varies among states, and identifies key factors that explain why states adopt plastic bag legislation. Findings indicate that plastic bag legislation varies by geography and political control of state legislatures. Additionally, results indicate that states in which local legislation has been adopted are more likely to adopt state-wide legislation. Finally, this study finds that shoreline mileage, green state index, and presence of state preemption laws to be strong predictors of plastic bag legislation adoption. Through its findings, the study informs policy makers about possible avenues that lead to the adoption of plastic bag legislation and discusses implications about implementation.

Suggested Citation

  • Liza Bell & Gina Scutelnicu Todoran, 2022. "Plastic bag legislation in the United States: influential factors on its creation," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 12(2), pages 260-271, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:12:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s13412-021-00736-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-021-00736-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Doris Knoblauch & Linda Mederake & Ulf Stein, 2018. "Developing Countries in the Lead—What Drives the Diffusion of Plastic Bag Policies?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-24, June.
    2. He, Haoran, 2012. "Effects of environmental policy on consumption: lessons from the Chinese plastic bag regulation," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(4), pages 407-431, August.
    3. Rachel Tiller & Elizabeth Nyman, 2018. "Ocean plastics and the BBNJ treaty—is plastic frightening enough to insert itself into the BBNJ treaty, or do we need to wait for a treaty of its own?," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(4), pages 411-415, December.
    4. Johane Dikgang & Anthony Leiman & Martine Visser, 2012. "Elasticity of demand, price and time: lessons from South Africa's plastic-bag levy," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(26), pages 3339-3342, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cherry C. I. Lau & Christina W. Y. Wong, 2024. "Achieving sustainable development with sustainable packaging: A natural‐resource‐based view perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4766-4787, July.

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