A Lawmaker in Texas Opposes the Use of Bulk Reusable Bags

During the past two years, a lot of the cities and counties within the US have formulated policies in order to ban the usage of plastic bags within their premises. However, a State Representative from Texas, Drew Springer, feels that city councils need to start formulating policies that would place bans on any kind of bags.

The argument made by Springer

According to Springer, the retailers in all parts of the United States should have the freedom to use shopping bags made out of any materials within their stores. Springer feels that the freedom of choice would be beneficial in three ways. Firstly, he feels that plastic bag bans have an implication on the packaging material used by the retailers to sell food items, due to which the authorities have to formulate separate laws.

Secondly, Springer feels that a ban forces the residents to purchase paper or cloth bags which are a burden for the residents who are not economically stable. Lastly, he feels that reusable bags have side-effects as well, so the government should not promote them blindly just because there is a relatively more eco-friendly option in comparison to plastic bags.

Experts feel that bulk reusable bags are a good way to stop waste disposal problems

Even though Springer makes a strong case against stopping bans on any type of shopping bags, experts feel that reusable bags have more advantages than disadvantages. According to reports, plastic bags are made using hazardous substances that have a derogatory impact on the environment. Plastic bags are made using petroleum products, and they are hard to recycle, so the waste management authorities have to spend a lot of time transporting them to landfills. This is the primary reason as to why city councils across the US have decided to ban these bags.

In comparison to single-use plastic bags, reusable bags don’t have any environmental side-effects; however, reports have suggested that they can cause food-borne diseases. Nonetheless, experts feel that if maintained properly, these bags won’t affect the health of the users. They suggest that the residents should wash these bags at regular intervals, and use separate reusable bags for their chores in order to stay healthy.

Furthermore, experts feel that if the residents buy bulk reusable bags, they can save up on money in order to counter the argument that Springer makes. They even feel that reusable bags can be used by the residents to recycle their old clothing items, as they can make their own reusable bags with minimal stitching abilities.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-lawmaker-wants-ban-plastic-bag-bans-194400850.html