Commenting on this wave of bans is Michael Laurier, CEO of a U.K.-based Symphony Environmental Technologies, which supplies controlled-life plastic technology. “Plastic bag bans and taxes are popular with politicians who want to be seen to be “doing something for the environment but they are unnecessary and counter-productive. Plastic bags are extremely useful, not only for shopping but for a multitude of other domestic uses, and should not be banned or taxed without very good reasons, which do not exist (see Plastic Bag Bans & Taxes)."
“Plastic is attacked on the basis that it can lie or float around for decades if it gets into the open environment, but this will not happen if the bags are made from the new controlled-life plastic, which will harmlessly degrade then biodegrade in the open environment much more quickly than old-fashioned plastic,” said Laurier.
“Another reason for the attack on plastic,” he added, “is the mistaken idea that thousands of barrels of oil are extracted from the earth to make plastic. In fact the oil is already extracted to make fuels, and plastic is made from a by-product which used to be wasted. The same amount would be extracted if plastics did not exist.”
Controlled-life plastic bags can be made by existing factories at a very low cost. If collected during their useful life they can be recycled with other plastic waste.
Laurier points out that 10 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East have passed laws mandating plastic bags and packaging to be made with controlled-life technology. Laurier believes that all the U.S. states should implement the same laws.
