Plastics won’t “save” oil and gas sector

The Rio Grande Foundation is often accused by our opponents of being “shills” for New Mexico’s oil and gas industry. Other times it is the Koch Brothers. It doesn’t matter. We are apparently never motivated by our support for free market principles.

Recently we were quoted in the New York Times in support of eliminating bans on plastic grocery bags. That quote was subsequently picked up by another journalist who made the odd point that the “boom” in plastic usage post COVID 19 could “save” the oil and gas industry.

According to the World Economic Forum chart below, 4% of worldwide oil and gas use is for plastic. It would take a pretty big boom in plastic usage to move the needle on overall oil and gas consumption.

We at the Rio Grande Foundation support the right of stores and consumers to choose the bag types that work for them not because of the oil and gas industry, but because it is pro-freedom and the right thing to do. That may surprise our enemies, but we are full of surprises.