Chicago’s misguided plastic bag ban

In a new piece from the Chicago Tribune, Erik Telford (President of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity) explains that “Plastic bag bans have become the cool new ‘green’ policy for local governments… Cool, unfortunately, rarely makes for effective public policy.”

Despite evidence from previous failed bag bans (such as the roundly criticized ban in Austin, TX), Chicago implemented its own misguided ban with no means to evaluate whether it’s working to reduce litter or change shoppers’ behavior. Nearly half a year later, though, there is evidence that the ban is hurting Chicago's economy by costing its citizens and businesses more of their hard-earned money.

For more on the Windy City’s “poorly designed policy gone awry,” read the full story in the Chicago Tribune.