American Samoa Bans Plastic Bags

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — American Samoa is going to make it illegal for stores to hand out plastic bags once a new law goes into effect early next year.

Gov. Togiola Tulafono, who signed the ban into law last week, said the measure would help preserve the environment for future generations.

"I believe this bill ... is a step in the right direction toward protecting the natural beauty of our islands and our native land and sea creatures," Tulafono said in a letter to the territorial Legislature.

The bill says plastic bags litter the landscape, fill streams and pollute the ocean. Advocates say marine animals can become entangled in the bags, which take 500 to 1,000 years to decompose.

The law takes effect Feb. 23. It exempts shopping bags produced entirely from non-petroleum based biodegradable plastic and compostable plastic bags.

Territorial Rep. Taotasi Archie Soliai pushed for the ban for four years. He said the territory needs to protect its limited natural resources.

"This is a step in the right direction for the territory, and I am ecstatically happy that this bill has been signed into law," Soliai said.

Local businessman David Robinson, a strong advocate of the bill, said any increased costs to businesses would be a "small price to pay" for a cleaner environment in the long term.

The territory's Environmental Protection Agency will be responsible for enforcing the law.

California lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a bill seeking to ban plastic shopping bags after a debating whether the state was going too far in trying to regulate personal choice.

A handful of California cities, meanwhile, already ban single-use plastic bags, after San Francisco became the first to do so in 2007.

In January, Washington, D.C., implemented a 5-cent surcharge on disposable paper and plastic bags, and Hawaii's Maui and Kaui counties both enacted bans on plastic bags due to take effect on Jan. 11.

Discouraging plastic bag use through fees or bans first gained traction outside of the U.S. in nations such as South Africa, Ireland, China and Bangladesh.

Comments

[by-the-sea-]

11:47 PM on 09/06/2010

Good on you Samoa, you're leading the way! I live in Santa Cruz, CA and we're trying to do the same thing, please sign this petition and help us help our environment!! Thank you so much!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/6/plastic-bag-ban-for-city-of-santa-cruz/

[vetxcl]

10:53 PM on 09/05/2010

good. now how about here, where it matters?

[by-the-sea-]

12:12 AM on 09/07/2010

Check out my post and this link!! Thanks!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/6/plastic-bag-ban-for-city-of-santa-cruz/

[conservastore]

10:47 PM on 09/05/2010

Good Job for Samoa, setting the example for the rest of America. Reusable bags are the future.

Reusable Bags Available at http://www.conservastore.com/productlist.php?c=60

[by-the-sea-]

12:42 AM on 09/07/2010

You're awesome for posting that link, fanned!

[Semper Troll]

05:25 PM on 09/05/2010

Way to go American Samoa!!

How bout' that regular America??? Can we follow the example?

[William Waterway Marks]

12:18 PM on 09/05/2010

Good to have a movement to ban plastic bags and other plastic items - at the same time, we have a high school science fair discovery of microbes that ravenously consume plastic. There is hope after all - maybe the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will eventually disappear. Check this link: http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/boy-discovers-microbe-that-eats-plastic

[direct democracy]

05:03 PM on 09/04/2010

Good move. Islands tend to suffer from environmental disruptions much faster than do continents. The most important bags to use there are condoms. See Jared Diamond's "Collapse".

[MarkInEugene]

11:58 AM on 09/04/2010

Excellent Samoa!

I think reminders in parking lots and at grocery store entrances "Did you remember to bring your bags" would be a good approach to get people to stop using these eyesores.

[by-the-sea-]

12:14 AM on 09/07/2010

Great idea!! I keep them in my car so I'll have them anytime I need them, but a reminder is always good!

[MamaSafi]

07:04 AM on 09/04/2010

Samoa is Ahead of USA and all the G20 nations-There must be something wrong when nations with few resources lead the way!

[by-the-sea-]

12:15 AM on 09/07/2010

Some states and cities are trying, there are lots of online petitions banning bags that you can sign!!

[SangZe]

08:45 AM on 09/03/2010

As Samoa goes, so goes . . .

[Stephen Ryan]

07:12 AM on 09/03/2010

This is great news! A step in the right direction. Now if only the 50 states would be so progressive and follow suit.

[forestnfama]

06:06 AM on 09/03/2010

California law makers have failed us and mother nature.

[Yogesh Cu]

03:39 AM on 09/03/2010

When we talk about banning plastic bags then this is a documentary which everyone must watch
The film highlights the irony of our waste being someone else's source of existence.The film also looks at that section of the society whose whole existence depends on the waste that we produce.

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/830

It says a lot.

[grandma58]

07:43 PM on 09/02/2010

NIce.

[janejoy]

07:19 PM on 09/02/2010

yay for samoa! also the plastic bags most common at grocery stores and convenience stores are so flimsy that people use double up the plastic bags and the bags aren't good at all for containing smells or reusing -not good for lining small garbage cans or throwing away food. after the grocery store these bags have holes in the bottom after one use. Now I buy the blue biodegradable bags for walking my dog, and use paper lunch bags or canvas bags for toting.

[jack7576]

07:14 PM on 09/02/2010

posters don't know that America Samoa is part of the USA

public schools are not doing a good job