In addition to being counterproductive (as explained by others), there's another issue with these token environmental laws that add highly visible inconveniences with no actual benefit (e.g. bag or straw bans): they annoy people, leading to resentment and rejection of environmentalism as a whole, harming the chances of policies that would actually have a meaningful positive effect being adopted. [1] .
My impression is that these laws are often popular among one group because they annoy another, perceived as being in the wrong - which then leads to the second group pushing laws that will annoy the first, even if they don't make sense.
My impression is that these laws are often popular among one group because they annoy another, perceived as being in the wrong - which then leads to the second group pushing laws that will annoy the first, even if they don't make sense.
[1] backlash effect - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backlash_(sociology)