Plastic bags - carrying the weight of the environment?
Read the article Plastic bag bans around the world and then consider answers to the questions below. You can either read the article in the window below or you can follow the previous link to read the article in a separate window.
You may also wish to read the following article to support your answer:
- New York mayor signs plastic bag recycling bill
- Pay for your bag AND help good causes: Simple plan to cut plastic and raise £50m
Once you have read this article then listen to the following podcast:
Question 1
Identify the external costs and external benefits that result from the use of single-use plastic bags.
Question 2
Using diagrams, as appropriate, show how the use of single-use plastic bags results in the socially optimal equilibrium differing from the market equilibrium.
Question 3
Analyse the effectiveness of banning the use of plastic bags as a policy to reduce the environmental impact of carrying goods from shops.
Question 4
Evaluate two policies, other than bans, that governments could use to reduce the environmental impact of the use of plastic bags.