The headline gives the impression San Francisco has banned plastic shopping bags. Indeed the San Francisco Chronicle reported yesterday that the San Franciso Board of Supervisors approved groundbreaking legislation on Tuesday to “outlaw plastic checkout bags at large supermarkets in about six months and large chain pharmacies in about a year”.
It is apparently the first such law in any city in the United States.
“Fifty years ago, plastic bags — starting first with the sandwich bag — were seen in the United States as a more sanitary and environmentally friendly alternative to the deforesting paper bag. Now an estimated 180 million plastic bags are distributed to shoppers each year in San Francisco. Made of filmy plastic, they are hard to recycle and easily blow into trees and waterways, where they are blamed for killing marine life. They also occupy much-needed landfill space,” according to the same article in the newspaper.
The newspaper article continues, “Two years ago, San Francisco officials considered imposing a 17-cent tax on petroleum-based plastic bags before reaching a deal with the California Grocers Association. The agreement called for large supermarkets to reduce by 10 million the number of bags given to shoppers in 2006. The grocers association said it cut back by 7.6 million, but city officials called that figure unreliable and unverifiable due to poor data supplied by markets.”
The dispute has led to the outlawing of the standard plastic bag but only for large supermarkets and large chain pharmacies. The 95,000 small businesses in San Francisco will be able to continue to use plastic bags.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Good.
Yet again another inanimate object is demonised by the greens and a gullible public. This is really a management issue. It is about human behaviour and how we as a society dispose of our waste products and the management of that process.
Biodegradible plastic bags are a reality. Rather than impose a tax or levy is it not preferable to expect that all plastic bags are manufactured in a manner that ensures that they are biodegradible.
If an equal amount of money was spent on changing peoples attitudes to littering (awareness, education) as has been spent on demonising the plastic bag over the last ten years perhaps we would not be witnessing such nonsense as calls for a ban on plastic bags and our road verges, rivers and estuaries would not be litered with the rubbish that they are.
Sorry folks, have a good look around, it is not just plastic bags but almost every product imaginable that is littering our environment and WE as a society are to blame for our acceptance of such behaviour.
What next a ban on “green” gags, then polarfleece, then every other by-product of the petrochemical industry?
Educations slow, I live in SA the evidence is clear when I cross to Victoria. When 5cents is added to the cost of containers roadsides are cleaner, education in a roundabout way. We could try it Australia wide, Theoretically it would have little effect, presumption, on your business and would clean up roadsides?
I have never understood the opposing of the deposit solution. A civil question, why is it opposed? Please a civil answer?
fluff
Educations slow, I live in SA the evidence is clear when I cross to Victoria. When 5cents is added to the cost of containers roadsides are cleaner, education in a roundabout way. We could try it Australia wide, Theoretically it would have little effect, presumption, on your business and would clean up roadsides?
I have never understood the opposing of the deposit solution. A civil question, why is it opposed? Please a civil answer?
fluff
Educations slow, I live in SA the evidence is clear when I cross to Victoria. When 5cents is added to the cost of containers roadsides are cleaner, education in a roundabout way. We could try it Australia wide, Theoretically it would have little effect, presumption, on your business and would clean up roadsides?
I have never understood the opposing of the deposit solution. A civil question, why is it opposed? Please a civil answer?
fluff
Frank,
I too have never understood the reluctance of the NSW Government to impose a bottle levy as in SA. As a kid I remember that much of our holiday pocket money came from picking up discarded bottles and returning them for the refund. A days collecting would fund a plethora of holiday activities. And as you point out the evidence is there for all to see as soon as you cross the border.
I disagree with your comment that education is too slow. Isn’t the media campaign against plastic bags just another form of education, and over time it has changed much public opinion.
Peter
Already there is discussion re the energy to manufacture green bags? Is it the recycling cost, value?
My point is there as an established example of cleaner road sides, SA. there we appear to have agreement.
My concern re “self destruct” plastic bags begins with the residue, visual pollution, as bad as fresh cut tomato, onion skins, toilet paper at camp and truck stops. They do disappear, but make a place you don’t want be in there slow deterioration.
I appreciate your reply.
fluff
Especially in this the United Nations Year of Natural Fibres (see here http://www.alburyenvirobags.com.au/jute2009.php) politicians and environmentalists should be supporting the use of natural fibre bags such as jute bags and organic cotton bags. Why is it that these natural fibre bags, and the Year of Natural Fibres, have such a low profile amongst politicians and environmentalists?