Errors in Article on Plastic Bags

Dear Editor,
    Your recent article “Point Austin: Bag It” [News, Aug. 5] contained several claims that need clarification. The article mentions a recent article in Rolling Stone that makes inaccurate assertions about plastic-bag waste and recycling.
    Americans are participating in recycling programs that help reduce waste in a smart and successful way. In 2009, Americans recycled nearly 854 million pounds of plastic bags and wraps, and that number has doubled in the past nine years as a result of comprehensive education campaigns.
    Secondly, your article mentions the Brownsville model, explaining that the city is now cleaner. The truth is that banning one product does not impact litter, and there is no evidence that a ban reduces plastic-bag litter in any city. According to the San Francisco Streets Litter Re-Audit, July 4, 2008, after San Francisco’s ban, plastic-bag litter increased. We are all concerned about reducing litter, but banning or taxing plastic bags, which make up a fraction of a percent of total litter, will do nothing to address the problem.
    With advances in recycling, and with the implementation of more recycling programs, we will do more to reduce waste in our landfills and litter on our streets. Plastic recycling addresses all forms of plastic films, from newspaper wraps to dry cleaning bags as well as plastic grocery bags, making it a more comprehensive solution to litter and one that supports green American jobs and consumer choice, instead of punishing consumers and singling out one product.