For many visitors, Guam doubles as a tropical getaway and a shopping destination, particularly for luxury goods. But a ban born out of environmental concerns has been marked as a threat to that stream of revenue.

Passed by the 36th Guam Legislature, the “Choose to Reuse: Mungna ma Ayek i Plastek Act of 2018” phased out plastic bags and later, paper bags to reduce waste.

Stakeholders said the July ban could do more harm than good.

Enter Bill 121, a measure aiming to exempt luxury retail businesses from the paper bag ban, claiming branded shopping bags are “integral to the store’s trademark and service mark branding” and attract tourists as presentation is a vital part of “Asian gift-giving culture.”

“The impact of client perceptions of not only our brand, but of shopping on Guam, will be negatively affected,” said Gemkell Guam’s General manager, Angie Saad. 

Gina Bamba Artero, General Manager at DFS Guam, agrees. 

She emphasizes that DFS’s branded paper bags are made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

“Notably, Guam stands as the only location globally enforcing a paper bag ban, which has led several luxury brands, who are integral to our market, to hesitate producing custom reusable bags,” said Artero. 

Artero warns that the financial strain of developing branded reusable bags on top of declining revenues and currency fluctuations may drive brands away from Guam entirely.

Senator Chris Dueñas, Co-Vice Chair of the Committee on Tourism, says in this scenario it would also take from employee wages.

“I think it’s very clear that sometimes legislation has contained in it what we call ‘the law of unintended consequences’, and I’m sure that this is one of those times,” said Duenas. 

Senator Shelly Calvo, also Committee Co-Vice Chair, noted the issue should not be exclusive to luxury.

“But everybody has an accompanying carry-out bag that you put the merchandise in,” said Calvo. 

Vice Speaker Tony Ada pushed for a broader re-evaluation of the bag policy, while pointing out a harsh reality.

“I mean, we see a lot of these reusable bags, that they call reusable, on the side of the roads now, versus the biodegradable plastic bags,” said Ada. 

And that leads to a deeper issue: Personal responsibility.

Bill author Senator Jesse Lujan admits Bill 121 may not be the "silver bullet" to fix Guam's tourism struggles but it might be a step in the right direction.

As the July deadline approaches, the debate over bags continues and the question is posed: Can Guam strike the balance between sustainability and economic survival?