San Jose, California has passed an ordinance that becomes effective Jan. 1, 2012 to entirely ban disposable plastic bags in the city of 1 million people. Paper bags will be available—for a fee. It’s the strongest anti-bag legislation in the U.S. to date.
Not only will unsuspecting customers left (not) holding the bag, but , fines of up to $1,000 can be imposed on shops which break the ban. It will affect about 5,000 businesses.
Exempted from the ban are restaurants and nonprofit secondhand stores. Plastic bags used to protect meat, produce or bulk foods, and sandwich bags and trash bags are also exempt.
Proponents of the ban are excited because they consider it an opportunity to lead on an important environmental issue. Emily Utter, policy associate with Save the Bay, said in an interview: "This ordinance is a great step forward and will keep millions of bags out of San Francisco Bay." She and others are hopeful other cities and California will follow suit. Currently, Long Beach, Santa Monica and Santa Cruz were considering laws to restrict plastic bag use. Cities like San Francisco and Washington already restrict plastic bag use.
People who were against the ban included Tim Shestek, the American Chemistry Council's senior director for state affairs (lobbyist for the petroleum industry?), who called the ban was "unfortunate."
Fact or Fiction?
Councilman Pete Constant, who voted against the ban, told the paper that the city had voted to increase "the burden and cost for people in the midst of one of the deepest recessions we've experienced in our lifetime." –San Jose Mercury News
How much of a burden, really, is bringing your own bags? Grab a tote bag from that conference last year. Re-use your sturdy Trader Joe’s handled paper bags. If we are putting burdens on people, it isn’t by making them bring their own bags.
Also from Councilman Constant:
Plastic bags are fully recyclable, and instead of entertaining recycling partnerships and programs, the City Council chose a policy that punishes consumers by raising grocery costs unnecessarily.
We’ve gone over this before in this blog, but do the math: It costs $4,000 to process and recycle one ton of plastic bags, which can be sold on the commodities market for $32. Recycling is in no way cost-effective.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Your Thoughts, Please
We have a lot on our minds right now: the economy, terrorism, pat-downs, family, the holidays. Let's not forget about our planet, the one we have to live on and share with others? I was walking through our city neighborhood the other evening, looking at Christmas lights--and trash. A plastic bag blew up around my legs, and I thought it did nothing to enhance the decor. So I picked it up, along with some fast-food containers, and a notice of power shut-off for non-payment, wondering how that anonymous person was doing. I know a lot of people that walk my street are struggling, so what are some things I can do to help that?
Of course, we can identify and give as generously as possible to charities we care about. There are little things we can do, too, to perk up the holidays for people less fortunate that us:
• Pick up the trash: I have this formula that if I find a plastic bag on the street or sidewalk, it is a sign that I'm supposed to pick it up and fill it with as much trash as it will hold. I do this at least weekly. I'm walking somewhere anyway, so why not fill a bag with trash and deposit it in a receptacle? If we all did that, the world might look a little spiffier and worth our efforts.
• Put spare change in the "Feed the Meter" parking meters. We have several of these on corners in the Central West End of St. Louis and all the money fed into the meters goes directly to homeless services. So instead of giving a panhandler money, feed the meter. Then you know where it goes.
• Never pass a Salvation Army bucket without giving them something. I carry quarters and dollar bills in my pocket during the holidays so I'm ready to feed them. It really encourages those frigid bell-ringers.
What are some of the little things you do to make your corner of the world a little better for people? Please share, and sign up to be a follower of this blog. God Bless, and Happy Holidays!
Of course, we can identify and give as generously as possible to charities we care about. There are little things we can do, too, to perk up the holidays for people less fortunate that us:
• Pick up the trash: I have this formula that if I find a plastic bag on the street or sidewalk, it is a sign that I'm supposed to pick it up and fill it with as much trash as it will hold. I do this at least weekly. I'm walking somewhere anyway, so why not fill a bag with trash and deposit it in a receptacle? If we all did that, the world might look a little spiffier and worth our efforts.
• Put spare change in the "Feed the Meter" parking meters. We have several of these on corners in the Central West End of St. Louis and all the money fed into the meters goes directly to homeless services. So instead of giving a panhandler money, feed the meter. Then you know where it goes.
• Never pass a Salvation Army bucket without giving them something. I carry quarters and dollar bills in my pocket during the holidays so I'm ready to feed them. It really encourages those frigid bell-ringers.
What are some of the little things you do to make your corner of the world a little better for people? Please share, and sign up to be a follower of this blog. God Bless, and Happy Holidays!
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