Dear Friends--This was a real eye opener for me! It's a little "dated", from late Jan. of 2007, but very interesting, especially the part towards the end on "biodegradable" bags. Tom
>Subject: [GreenYes] SF in Plastics News >Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2007 15:52:37 -0800 >From: "Dan De Grassi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >San Frans bag plan circumvents state law >By Mike Verespej >PLASTICS NEWS STAFF > >SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 26, 7:05 p.m. EST) -- Despite a 2006 state law that >prohibits cities from banning or placing a tax on plastic supermarket >bags, San Francisco has crafted an ordinance that requires grocery stores >with annual sales of more than $2 million to provide only recyclable paper >bags, compostable plastic bags and reusable bags to its customers at checkout. > >The ordinance defines a compostable plastic bag as a plastic bag that >contains no products derived from petroleum, and a reusable bag as a bag >with handles specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse and >made either of cloth or other machine-washable fabric, or compostable >plastic bags made of durable plastic with handles at least 2.25 mils thick. > >The ordinance would effectively lead to a ban on plastic bags, said Tim >James, manager of local government relations for the California Grocers >Association in Sacramento. > >The state passed a law in August that gives retailers participating in the >state-mandated plastic bag-recycling program a pre-emption from any local >laws that place fees, bans, levies or restrictions on plastic bags. > >There is no clash with the state law, insisted a spokesman for the board >of supervisors. We are just dealing with compostable bags in this >legislation. > >The Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance was introduced Jan. 23 by supervisor >Ross Mirkarimi after supermarket chains representing 54 stores failed >to meet a Dec. 31 deadline to demonstrate that they had reduced the number >of plastic bags by 10 million in the past year, as part of a voluntary >agreement reached in late 2005. > >City officials estimate that between 50 million and 150 million plastic >grocery bags are distributed in San Francisco each year. > >A city spokesman said the Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee >will hold hearings on the bill in March, with a scheduled effective date >of July 1. > >The intent of the ordinance is to reduce the number of plastic bags in >landfills, waste streams and in the bay, said another city source. > >The supermarket chains turned in just a fraction of the data and no data >on the number of bags recycled, even after they were given a one-week >extension. The source said that only three of the chains Safeway, >Albertsons and Andronicos have turned in data, which the source called >raw and incomplete. > >The Grocers Association expects the eight supermarket chains involved to >turn in their data by the end of January to the third-party consultant, >Environmental Sciences Associates, which the city hired. > >Grocers Association President Peter Larkin said the numbers will show that >the San Francisco bag-recycling program has been a big success. > >Their contention that we have not upheld our end of the bargain is simply >not true, Larkin said. We are very proud of what we have accomplished >and our preliminary data shows that there has been a remarkable and >dramatic reduction in the number of bags used. > >Larkin would not disclose the preliminary data. > >We think the proposed ordinance is premature and potentially damaging to >the recycling program in the city and the planned rollout of plastic bag >recycling in the state later on this year. > >He also argued that the proposed ordinance would be counterproductive to >the city and to recycling efforts, as bag manufacturers are required by >the state law enacted six months ago to place a recycling message on all >plastic checkout bags. > >Because of the difficulty in distinguishing between compostable plastic >bags and conventional plastic bags, we would end up with a lot of >compostable bags in the recycling bin that would contaminate the recycling >stream, Larkin said. > >Stephanie Barger, executive director of Earth Resource Foundation in Costa >Mesa, Calif., agreed and said it is an illusion to think that a shift to >bio-degradable bags is the answer to reducing litter. > >When biodegradable bags get into the ocean, they dont immediately >degrade, particularly in cold waters like there are in San Francisco, she >said. > >They can also mess up recycling streams, and unless they are well-marked, >they will be very difficult to distinguish from regular plastic bags. > >She said she is disappointed in how the ordinance was crafted because it >encourages producers and distributors not to have any responsibility for >the products they use or make. > >Barger added: We cant just consume, consume, consume and dispose, >dispose, dispose. We are kind of putting a Band-Aid on a problem, but not >fixing it. We consume too much, its all disposable and no one is >responsible. > >Still, she applauded the city for its effort and also said she believes >each city needs to address the issues unique to its community. > >For our state to take away local control is unbelievable, Barger said. >We are very disappointed with the governor and his administration over that. _______________________________________________ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
