Plastic Bag Use Drops 91% in Vermont After Statewide Ban

Vermont legislated a statewide prohibition on plastic bags in its environmental code during 2020, within the overall context of the COVID-19 public health legislation. The prohibition made it criminal to sell businesses providing plastic bags to consumers, except for paper bags for $0.10. A 2023 study by the University of Vermont revealed an impressive 91% reduction in plastic bag use after the passage of the law.

The study was an extension of a survey of 745 Vermont residents by the University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies. The report, published in the Environmental Economics and Policy Studies journal, testified to the law's effect on consumers. The top result was plastic bag usage, the most dramatic finding, indicating policy adaptation that worked. Paper bag usage increased by just more than 6%, although statistically the difference was not substantial.

The research also explored the way residents accommodated the new law. Some cut over to paper bags as the simplest substitute for plastic. Others, though—particularly those already using paper bags—cut back on use for the added cost. A large portion of the population had already transitioned to reusable bags prior to the ban and continued the practice. The trends indicate that economic incentives, as well as existing habits, played a significant role in molding consumer behavior.

One of the success factors of the ban was grassroots support. Analysts attribute the initiative to have come from grassroots pressure, with Vermonters demanding something be done regarding single-use plastics' effect on the environment. The law's simplicity, along with effective communication and advance notice by state authorities, also ensured the law's enforcement went easily and was popular among the people.

The research concluded that plastic bag reduction policy can work with simple implementation and good communication. It also insisted on following policies taking plastic and paper bag use into consideration together so as to determine the environmental effects fully and avoid measures that would counteract the push towards sustainability.

The whole study, whose title was "Impacts of plastic and paper bag legislation on consumer behavior in the United States: Quantitative evidence from a statewide survey in Vermont", was written by Qingbin Wang, Emily Belarmino, and Meredith Niles, and can be accessed through Environmental Economics and Policy Studies (DOI: 10.1007/s10018-025-00440-9). It was submitted by the University of Vermont.