Washington, D.C. – The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, is pointing to a recent recall of reusable bags as another unintended consequence of "feel good" policy making. Recalls of reusable grocery bags by companies such as Sears Canada, CVS, Winn Dixie, Wegmans and lululemon athletica due to elevated lead levels demonstrate the negative outcome of policies meant to restrict consumer choice. When consumers are pushed to buy reusable bags they often purchase cheap, fabric-like polypropylene bags that contain excessive levels of lead and bacteria.
According to a new Opinion Research Corporation poll commissioned by CCF, 56% of Americans are not “at all aware” that their reusable grocery bags may contain lead and bacteria, which explains why—according to the same poll—68% of reusable bag owners have either never washed their bag or only washed it once in the last year.
Some reusable shopping bags sold or given away by stores throughout North America contain lead levels above what is allowable by many state laws. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has called on federal and state regulatory agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate a report showing that nearly half of all reusable bags tested exceed the limits set by many state laws on toxins in packaging. In addition to calling for a federal investigation, Senator Schumer stated, “When our families go to the grocery store looking for safe and healthy foods to feed their kids, the last thing they should have to worry about are toxic bags.”
“Demonizing, taxing, or banning plastic bags—as they have in some cities across the country—is a perfect example of knee-jerk, feel-good regulation that brings with it myriad unintended consequences,” said CCF Senior Research Analyst J. Justin Wilson. “Politicians often respond to activist-driven junk science by demonizing, banning or taxing products without giving any thought to what people will use instead. Now recent research demonstrates that some of these bags contain lead and can be a breeding ground for bacteria. In the end, the new alternative can end up being worse than its replacement. It’s no surprise we’re seeing retailers like Sears and Wegmans recalling their reusable bags because they contain lead.”
The Center for Consumer Freedom has been running ads in major newspapers and online. The text of the ad reads:
What your family needs to know about reusable bags imported from China
Did you know that many reusable bags imported from China frequently have excessive levels of lead? China is the number one supplier of reusable bags in the United States, sending almost 3 billion bags to date and an additional half a billion into our homes each year. Recent investigations by the Tampa Tribune and consumer protection groups uncovered high levels of lead and heavy metals in reusable bags sold by multiple national and regional retailers.
Senator Charles Schumer and other congressional leaders have called on government safety agencies to investigate why such elevated levels of lead are coming into contact with our food and leaching into the environment. Perhaps even more alarming, a University of Arizona study found fecal coliform bacteria and E. coli in some of the bags when not washed after reuse.
For more information visit www.ConsumerFreedom.com. To arrange an interview, call Allison Miller at 202-463-7112.
