Banning Plastic Bags: 5 Do’s and Don’ts for Your Advocacy Campaign

Photo Credit: http://www.greenschoolsalliance.org/files/Ban%20The%20Bag%20Rally%20Photo.png

Tired of seeing plastic bags littered in your neighborhood? So are many cities! In fact, banning plastics bags or taxing the use of them has been a growing practice for over a decade. In 2002, Ireland became the first country to impose a plastic bag tax at 30 cents a bag, while China was the first country to outright ban them in 2008. The initiatives have paid off dramatically: China has saved over 6 million tons of oil and Ireland has decreased plastic bag consumption by 94%.

U.S. cities are slowly, but surely, following the trend. All across the country cities are implementing plastic bag bans–from Los Angeles, to Chicago, to every county in Hawaii. Is your city one of them? If not, an environmental advocacy campaign may be necessary to kick start your city’s plastic bag ban. Here are 5 do’s and don’ts for creating a successful plastic bag ban campaign.

Do’s

  • Set a concrete goal for the campaign. This may seem obvious, but without a clearly defined goal it will be difficult for the campaign to be successful. Is your campaign trying to ban plastic grocery bags in a specific city? Across the state? Or is it trying to place a cost on plastic bags? Here’s a great example of a well-defined goal from a current campaign in Georgia.
  • Know your audience: who are the decision makers that can ban plastic bags in your city? Who are the supporters of the campaign? And who are your persuadables, those who are undecided yet may possibly become supporters? Knowing your audience is key to success, as supporters will be integral to persuading decision makers to act on the campaign’s behalf.
  • Come up with a strong message for the campaign. A message should be a phrase that concisely states the objectives and overall goal of the campaign. For example, Saratoga Springs, NY used the message “BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag”.

Photo Credit: http://www.papermonkey.com.au/images/folio/act-gov-plastic-bag-ban-campaign/13.jpg

  • Create a strategy. This will give your campaign leverage to persuade decision makers to act on the campaign’s behalf. New York City, for example, is using the cost of shipping plastic bags to landfills—$10 million annually— as leverage to persuade decision makers.
  • Create a demand for banning plastic bags. This can be tricky, but public education is on your side. Use facts and statistics of how plastic bags harm the environment and cost tax payers money to persuade people to act on the campaign’s behalf.

Don’ts

  • Don’t focus on persuading your opponents. They are opponents for a reason, and focusing on them takes energy away from those who can be influenced, like your persuadables.
  • But don’t forget about your opponents either, as their viewpoint will also be a voice trying to influence the final decision. Being aware of their goals and views can help you build a stronger, more concrete campaign.
  • Don’t neglect to create a time frame. Campaigns shouldn’t last forever, and setting a time frame can keep the campaign on track. Is there a city council meeting coming up? An important election? If so, try creating a time frame that aligns with the event so that the campaign’s goal can be voted on. Many bag bans are created by an ordinance during city council meetings, so try to raise awareness before those meetings.
  • Don’t be discouraged by laws that prohibit plastic bag bans. Some cities are countering plastic bag bans and taxes by creating laws that prohibit implementing bans, saying that banning plastic bags is bad for store owners and the job market. Yet, as a 12 year old from Grayslake, IL showed in 2012, these laws can be overcome.
  • Don’t overlook the results of other bag ban campaigns. Sure, some cities may have passed bag ban laws, but are they successful? If not, what is causing them to fail? Use this information to build a stronger campaign with a more achievable goal.

For more tips on how to ban plastic bags in your city, visit the Plastic Pollution Coalition website. To stay up to date with current plastic bag ban campaigns, or to see what cities are banning bags in your state, check out plasticbagbanreport.com.

Good luck!

 

Additional Source Used:

Cox, Robert. Environmental Communications and the Public Sphere. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2013. Print