North Carolina General Assembly Faces Pressure to Allow Cities to Act on Plastic Waste

Introduction

With an estimated $41.4 million worth of plastic discarded annually, and plastic bottles produced within a year capable of lining the length of the Blue Ridge Parkway 642 times, the burden of plastic waste is heavily felt across North Carolina. Complicating matters, the N.C. GOP General Assembly has intervened, blocking municipal efforts to impose bans on plastic products.

The Controversial Ban on Bans

On September 22, 2023, the state lawmakers unveiled a stipulation in the state budget that prohibits individual municipalities from enacting bans or introducing charges on plastic bags and other single-use plastics. This has undermined local initiatives endeavouring to reduce plastic waste, particularly in Asheville where, throughout much of 2023, large-scale local support for a plastic-bag ban gathered momentum.

Plastic bags, taking up to 1,000 years to decompose completely, do more harm than good for the environment. Implementing a ban on plastic bags would cause a major shift towards reusable bags and paper bags, both of which contribute significantly less to pollution.

Alignment or Hindrance?

The rationale for this restriction primarily rests on maintaining regulatory uniformity across the state and mitigating potential burdens on businesses. However, this tactic oversteps the urgent need for local governments to take action based on their particular environmental and public health needs. Cities like Durham and Asheville were keen on exploring bans or fees on plastic bags to tackle local waste management issues and cut the environmental impact.

Implications for Low-Income Communities

Moreover, criticism that plastic bag fees overly impact low-income communities fails to acknowledge broader environmental justice issues. Often, low-income communities shoulder the brunt of pollution and waste management problems. One notable example is the GFL Sampson County Landfill, situated near such communities and one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases amongst municipal landfills in the U.S.

Towards Sustainable Solutions

Preserving the standard mode of operations brings with it considerable long-term costs. Not only are plastic bags detrimental for the environment, but they also pose significant costs for waste management systems. Officials in Mecklenburg County have highlighted that plastic bags lead to operational issues and escalate the costs of recycling efforts. As such, it is crucial to thread on a path towards sustainable solutions that put both environmental health and social justice at the forefront.

This includes reconsidering our dependence on single-use plastics and entrusting local governments with the authority to enforce effective waste reduction policies. While consumer education and voluntary actions are helpful, they aren’t adequate to deal with the scale of the plastic waste problem. The call of the day is for the North Carolina legislators to reassess their standpoint and allow municipalities the flexibility to implement measures that can safeguard our environment and communities.

Conclusion

The health of our planet and future generations is contingent upon our actions today. The pressure is mounting for the North Carolina General Assembly to lift the block on plastic bans and allow cities to take decisive action on the emerging and critical issue of plastic waste.