Experts: N.J. ban is the subject of misinformation by the plastic bag industry

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The results were in and they grabbed the attention of many.

A study by the Freedonia Group that found plastic consumption went up after New Jersey banned single-use plastic shopping bags began to make the rounds in late January. Several media outlets picked up the story.

But the study was paid for by the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, a group that lobbies against plastic bag bans across the country.

Dr. Travis Wagner, professor emeritus at the University of Southern Maine, called the study “just a poor piece of misinformation.” He said the source of some of their data is unclear and that the study was not peer-reviewed.

“It’s trying to advocate a particular position without doing a balanced presentation,” said Wagner. “From a basic research perspective, it is not an objective document.”

Industry study claims dramatic increase in plastic consumption after the ban

The Freedonia study claims the shift from single-use plastic shopping bags to reusable bags resulted in nearly three times more plastic being consumed. At the same time, six times more plastic was used to make reusable shopping bags.

Another claim from the study is that 90% of all reusable bags are reused only two to three times before being discarded.

But Wagner said the claim doesn’t match up with previous research.

“What they assume is if you ban all plastic bags, everyone goes out and purchases new bags or you’re always gonna purchase new reusable bags,” he said. “But many people have lots of reusable bags in their closet or in their trunk or whatever and they get reused.”