Reusable Shopping Bag - Research

Research

The accelerating volume of reusable bags being imported and resold, along with the 2008 Wall Street Journal article, An Inconvenient Bag, that documented that only 10% of bags are actually being reused raise statistical questions about their effectiveness and the possibility that these heavier bags have become the new disposable bag. The 2004-2008 Chinese import numbers were enough to sell or give away to each family of four in America with more than 21.2 bags over just the past five years. More directly in light of the 2004 US International Trade Commission Study, Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from China, Malaysia, and Thailand, that reported the total annual retail carrier bag consumption is the United States at 97 billion bags annually, the 504 million bags imported from China in 2008 offset just 9.7 billion retail carrier bags (10% of total as reported by the Wall Street Journal) which translated to each reusable bag on average only offset just 19.5 retail carrier bags during its lifespan. Although reusable bags are capable of offsetting more, it is likely that due to lack of use, increased free distribution of these heavier bags, commercialization and commoditization that they are becoming a disposable product with a limited lifespan. An unpublished report from the UK's Environment Agency found that, measured by the relative cost to a plastic bag, a canvas or cotton reusable bag would have to be reused a total of 171 times to offset the higher carbon emissions. The same study found however that the average cotton bag is used only 51 times before being thrown away.

In 2009, Walmart Stores proposed turning three California stores into reusable bag only stores. Concurrently, Walmart was prepared to introduce a $0.15 reusable bag. On 23 October 2009 Walmart abandoned plans to remove carrier bags but they continued to introduce the new lower cost bags. In contrast to previous bags sold at $0.99 and $0.50 these lower cost bags may reduce price incentive to reuse these heavy bags.