Survey: Most Shoppers Use Plastic Bags, Not Reusable

Adrienne Esposito, at the podium, executive director of Citizen Campaign for the Environment, and Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer, back-center, announce Monday results of a survey of consumer shopping habits. Photo/Citizen Campaign for the Environment

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com

 Suffolk officials, organizations and schools recently teamed up for a two-month study that ultimately determined, they say, consumer shopping habits inform the need for the county’s soon-to-be-implemented fee on single-use plastic bags.

Seventy-one percent of individuals who participated in the study said they use either plastic or paper bags for their groceries, while 5 percent said they use reusable bags.

Suffolk Legislator William ‘Doc’ Spencer (D-Centerport), the lawmaker behind the 5-cent fee for single-use plastic bags, which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2018, said the results of the study were no surprise.

“It was kind of what I expected, but I think it was eye opening to realize,” Spencer said. “What we wanted to do was have a baseline of information to know how much recycling was going on. It’s great to be able to have objective evidence that demonstrates that just recycling alone is not making a substantial impact.”

A total of 85 students and 15 teachers representing schools like Northport, Huntington, Smithtown, North Babylon, and Brentwood high schools and St. Joseph’s College helped conduct the study, along with county officials, Food Industry Alliance, Local 338, and Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

The group surveyed a total of 11,395 individuals outside eight different locations, including grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies, throughout November and the first half of December.

Surveys were conducted on weekends and some weeknights. Results showed a small increase in the number of people who shop with reusable bags on the weekends when compared to weekdays — 6.4 percent on the weekend opposed to 4.65 percent on weekdays.

Additionally, 68 percent of reusable bag shoppers were women and 32 percent are men.

A press conference Monday afternoon announced the results.

“The survey really emphasized the need for us to change public behavior and incentivize people to bring their own bag to the grocery store,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Farmingdale-based Citizen Campaign for the Environment, adding that the “goal of the law is to get plastic bags out of our beaches, bays, roadways and parks.”

She continued, “We’re asking everyone to make a New Year’s resolution to bring their own bag. We don’t want anyone to pay the fee, just bring your own bag. Save money and save the environment.”

Spencer said that the survey will be conducted again next year to “objectively determine” if his legislation is effective.

“What I love about this particular initiative is that it’s something that we can all do, it’s something that is voluntary,” Spencer said. “I’ve arranged for there to be enough free reusable bags around so that anyone who wants one or is concerned will be able to get them, and they will be able to do their shopping.

“We’re going to make Long Island a cleaner place.”