AUSTIN –Today, the City of Austin’s Zero Waste Advisory Commission is set to be briefed on a new report reviewing the city’s ban on single-use plastic bags. The report, Environmental Effects of the Single Use Bag Ordinance in Austin, Texas, reveals that Austin’s plastic bag ban has failed to live up to expectations, has lost public appeal, and may result in even more radical reforms, such as banning reusable bags. The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Local Governance Director James Quintero issued the following statement:
“A newly commissioned report from the City Austin suggests that Austinites are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to the city’s plastic bag ban,” said Quintero. “The city’s new report suggests that Austin’s plastic bag ban has been a failure. It has not meaningfully reduced litter, it has become increasingly unpopular among the general public, and it is a drain on local businesses as consumers take their business to more convenient shop outside the city limits to avoid the ban altogether. Rather than double-down on bad policy by broadening the scope of the ban, as the report suggests, city officials ought to look to places like Dallas and get out from between the consumer and the carryout bag entirely.”
To schedule an interview with Mr. Quintero, please contact Caroline Espinosa at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.
James Quintero is director of the Center for Local Governance at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.