San Francisco’s
Commission on the Environment is having a key hearing tmrw to address this
issue. This article is almost identical to an article by AP right around
Thanksgiving and just before the last hearing on plastic bags.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-11-21-grocery-sacks_x.htm?csp=34
Both articles attempt to
marginalize this effort positioning this issue as draconian and pushed on the
rest of us by “environmentalists”. We’ve heard that the
plastics industry has hired some very good PR firms to battle the plastic bag
backlash – unfortunately looks like they are doing a very good job!
If anyone wants more
information on tomorrow’s hearing email emily.utter@no.address
Vincent
Cobb
ReusableBags.com
From: amy perlmutter
[mailto:amyperl@no.address]
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005
1:50 PM
To: greenyes
Subject: [greenyes] SF charge for
bags
17 cents! That should have an impact!
San
Francisco May Charge for
Grocery Bags
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: January 24, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- San Francisco may become
the first city in the nation to charge shoppers for grocery bags.
The city's Commission on the Environment is expected to ask the mayor and board
of supervisors Tuesday to consider a 17-cent per bag charge on paper and
plastic grocery bags. While the goal is reducing plastic bag pollution, paper
was added so as not to discriminate.
``The whole point is to encourage the elimination of waste, not to make
people pay more for groceries,'' said Mark Murray, executive director of
Californians Against Waste.
Environmentalists argue that plastic bags jam machinery, pollute waterways and
often end up in trees. In addition to large supermarkets, other outfits that
regularly use plastic bags, including smaller grocery stores, dry cleaners and
takeout restaurants, could eventually be targeted.
Officials calculate that the city spends 5.2 cents per bag annually for street
litter pickup and 1.4 cents per bag for extra recycling costs.
Grocers and bag manufacturers argue that many people already reuse their
plastic bags, and that the use of plastic won't go down because people will
purchase plastic trash bags to use instead. Other opponents call the plan an
unfair and regressive tax on shoppers.