Cities and countries are banning or charging fees for single-use plastic items like bags and straws. This week, the wealthy beach community of Malibu, California, voted to ban restaurants from giving out plastic straws, utensils and stirrers. Overseas, Scotland wants to ban plastic straws by 2019; Taiwan is banning single-use plastics by 2030. So is it possible to entirely get rid of these “throwaway” plastic items? Eric Goldstein, senior attorney and New York City environment director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, joined Marketplace Weekend to discuss.

Click the audio player above to hear the full interview.