The Bay vs. the Bag: Only One Side Can Win
When the tobacco industry tried suing cities to stop restaurant smoking bans, it fueled public anger and resolve, not a resurgence of puffing. So it is striking to see the American Chemistry Council (ACC) using the same heavy handed tactics against cities trying to reduce or eliminate plastic bags, a dominant feature of urban trash and ocean pollution.
From Phoenix to Philadelphia, and Seattle to Washington, D.C., the ACC has unleashed lawyers, lobbyists and PR flacks against local efforts to kick the plastic bag habit. But this attempt to protect industry profits could backfire, because it's based on myths that are flimsier than the bags themselves.
Plastic bag pollution is growing, and its impact on our rivers, bays and oceans is well documented. Plastic never biodegrades in a marine environment, but it does leach poisons into our water and smother wetlands. Wildlife often become entangled in plastic bags and mistake pieces of plastic for food.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating island of trash in the North Pacific Ocean twice the size of Texas, where scientists have found plastic particles are more abundant than plankton. That's hard to believe, until you realize that in California alone, we use 19 billion plastic bags annually, and at least 1 million end up in San Francisco Bay each year.
Yes, even in the ultra-green Bay Area, bags blow and flow into San Francisco Bay, then out the Golden Gate to join this toxic brew. My daughters can testify to the waves of bags that they pick up at every shoreline cleanup event -- and they know these come not from sloppy boaters, but from all of us on land. That's why Save the Bay and other groups are supporting policies that promote reusable bags by placing fees on single-use plastic and paper bags, or banning them entirely.
The ACC is apoplectic. This plastics industry giant beat back a dozen municipal efforts to reduce plastic bag use across the country, pressuring New York, Phoenix and Philadelphia to instead adopt weak "recycling encouragement" schemes that haven't made a measurable dent in bag litter. But as more cities take up the cause, the plastics folks are desperately escalating their tactics.
In the nation's capitol, the industry is funding robo-calls to residents of low-income neighborhoods claiming a 5 cent fee on paper and plastic bags will hurt them disproportionately, prompting a backlash from city council members who say poor constituents care deeply about their trashed neighborhoods. In Seattle, after blocking a city council ordinance, the industry is now spending lavishly against a ballot measure to place a 20 cent fee on paper and plastic bags.
Here in California the ACC has thrown everything it can against city fee and ban efforts, knowing that California is a trend-setter on environmental policy. When the industry sued to stop Oakland's bag ordinance, the courts ruled that the city needed a study to prove that banning plastic bags wouldn't negatively impact the environment -- now cash-strapped Oakland is searching for the $100,000 to pay for such a study.
Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach were set to pass ordinances banning single-use plastic bags from all retail establishments, but postponed taking action after receiving a lawsuit threat from the group SaveThePlasticBag.com.*
The next big battle will be in San Jose, the region's largest city and the third-largest in California. Save the Bay is working with San Jose on bold legislation to require a 25 cent fee on all single use bags distributed by all retailers. Paper bags would also be subject to the fee because they require an enormous amount of energy and millions of trees to produce. The answer to "paper or plastic?" is "neither -- here's my reusable bag!"
I have a closet full of reusable cloth shopping bags that I usually remember to take with me -- the fee will help reinforce good habits and help everyone kick the bag habit. In the first year that Ireland instituted such a fee, plastic bag litter dropped by 93 percent and plastic bag use decreased by approximately 90 percent, and these dramatically lower levels of plastic bag use and litter are being sustained.
California is upping the ante with a statewide approach to relieve cities from the cost and effort of taking on the plastics industry one by one. California Assembly Bill 68, which would require a 25 cent fee on plastic and paper bags, is bidding for support from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has made ridding our bays and oceans of trash a signature issue.
Will requiring fees on plastic bags be a hardship during this tough economy? Actually, we all are paying for plastic bags already through local taxes to combat litter and clean up trash-clogged waterways, and through hidden bag costs added to food and retail prices. But it costs nothing to B.Y.O.B. (bring your own bag) and in fact, many stores like Safeway and Whole Foods give credit to customers who do.
The more people learn about this issue, the more allies the industry loses. Local recyclers hate the bags jamming their sorting machines, and even some supermarket chains are remaining neutral rather than alienate the residents and leaders of their communities who are working to improve the local quality of life.
A healthy San Francisco Bay is essential to our quality of life and economy around here, and it's one of the nation's most beloved and iconic natural resources. Reducing plastic bag use would make a huge difference for the Bay, which is home to 500 species of wildlife, millions of migrating birds, and a critical nursery for salmon and other fish.
For nearly 50 years Save the Bay has been fighting pollution and development to protect the Bay. Now we're fighting to overcome the plastic industry's desperate tactics and win the battle of the Bay vs. the Bag. Learn more here.
* An earlier version of this post mistakenly suggested that SaveThePlasticBag.com was affiliated with the American Chemistry Council (ACC), a Virginia-based industry trade association. SaveThe Plastic Bag.com is a coalition whose members include, but are not limited to plastic bag manufacturers and distributors.
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Despite a 15-year statewide effort in California, recycling plastic bags has failed. The California Integrated Waste Management Board estimates that less than 5 percent of all single use plastic bags in the state are actually recycled (http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/lgcentral/basics/plasticbag.htm) Plastic bags cost municipal recycling programs millions each year, when bags jam sorting equipment at recycling facilities. According to the city of San Jose, CA, less than four percent of plastic bags are recycled there and work stoppages from jammed bags cost the City approximately $1 million per year.
Further, the market for recycled plastic bags is small and unstable. Even the plastic bag industry doesn't use its own post-consumer material. Recyclers are sometimes forced to stockpile bales of bags or even pay to get rid of them. That is why many recyclers – like GreenTeam of San Jose – are supportive of efforts to reduce plastic bag usage.
Jessica Castelli
Communications Director
Save The Bay (San Francisco Bay)
Plastic bag makers agree with Mr. Lewis that plastic bags don’t belong in our rivers, bays and oceans. However, we disagree with his notion that recycling isn’t part of the solution. Communities across the country are supporting a “reduce, reuse and recycle” approach.
These are not “weak recycling encouragement schemes” but rather common sense steps to keep our environment litter-free. And they’re working.
The lastest National Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Bag and Film Report revealed that recycling of plastic bags and product wraps increased by 27 percent since 2005.
The few communities that have taxed or banned the use of plastic grocery bags discovered that their efforts to help the environment actually had the opposite effect. A city audit last year of San Francisco’s ban on plastic grocery bags found that litter had not decreased as expected. [See excerpt: http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/blank.asp?CID=1106&DID=8448].
Our industry has also undertaken efforts to contribute to a cleaner environment, including creating a nationwide recycling infrastructure (most recently, placing over 500 recycling bins on California beaches), educating children on marine debris, supporting a new national anti-litter effort, and developing more efficient packaging.
ACC also wishes to correct Mr. Lewis’ assertions that we have filed suit against communities seeking to implement policies to address plastic bags. We have not filed lawsuits. Our approach continues to be partnering with communities to implement programs that encourage consumers to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Shari Jackson, Director, Progressive Bag Affiliates/ACC
When you are looking for “the truth about plastic bags”– consider the source. This website is clearly sponsored by Hilex, one of the largest plastic bag manufacturers in the country: © 2008 Copyright Hilex Poly, LLC. All Rights Reserved. From their own website: Hilex is an industry leading manufacturer of plastic bag and film products.
Just because Hilex is presenting facts about bags doesn't make those facts wrong. Did you ever consider that they might know more about their product than the general public? More importantly, did you actually read what they have to say? Or did you just jump to conclusions.
In the big picture, plastic bags are the least of our environmental worries.
Well, let's take Myth #1. In the "truth" secion it says: Oakland, CA—Passed ban but thrown out by courts because paper causes more environmental damage than plastic
This is not true. The ban was not thrown out. The city is required by the courts to conduct an environmental review study to show the potential environmental impacts of the ban. But the city cannot afford this study, which could cost up to $100,000 thus the ban ordinance could not take affect. No court ruled that plastic bags causes more environmental damage than paper bags. In fact, Hilex was one of the petitioners in this case.
Shall I continue poking holes through the rest of the "myths"?
All of the truths are provided with links...none of the claims are from us.
They typically range from NGOs to governments and other first hand sources.
Dont be afraind to check the links and sources.
www.thetruthaboutplasticbags.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSHBJfidJoA
Did you know that the Australian government actually retracted its quote that 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags each year because the story actually states that plastic fishing debris (mainly abandoned nets) was the cause?
http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/publications/waste/plastic-bags/analysis.html
For facts and links to the studies about plastic bags and the environment that started it all, as well as environmental shopping strategies and a survey of plastic bag knowledge...please visit
www.thetruthaboutplasticbags.com
Watch an emercial at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSHBJfidJoA
We can claim ignorance no longer.
It is abominable that we know how dangerous and destructive plastic bags are to our environment, yet they are still produced, distributed and ultimately littered throughout our nation.
As a San Franciscan I am proud to live in the first city to ban plastic bags, but we are still behind in our environmental duty considering enlightened business' like Rainbow Grocery Cooperative haven't offered plastic bags since they opened in the 70's. We need to hold corporate America accountable for the cost they have on our communities and environment.
Charging consumers is one way to do it but we must also combat the general lethargy of the public to consider the widespread impact of gross consumption. It is not enough that "environmentalists" and "liberals" tote their own UNICEF or NPR bags to the local market. We need to take collective action to ensure reusable bags are affordable and accessible to everyone. Let's see some legislation that uses the Whole Food's model of donating the change you save by bringing your bag to low income residents to buy their own.
What is really abominable is that everyone THINKS they know how dangerous and destructive plastic bags are, but haven't actually read any of the reports or studies on the subject.
There is NO science out there that shows that reusable bags are any better for the environment than plastic. And paper bags are by far the worst option.
The biggest problem with plastic bags is litter (which pales in comparison to other items that are littered), and littering is better fought through education.
Whole Foods has switched from giving away bags (that they had to pay for through their price markup) to charging for much more expensive reusable bags (most of which are plastic and made in China - long way to ship a bag). Their decision to stop using bags was a financial one, not an environmental one.
I live in the Bay Area, along a major waterway that drains directly into San Francisco Bay. The state water regulators just announced that there is so much trash, inluding plastic bags, in the water that it violates the clean water act. It's disgusting. The state has not shown much leadership, so I'm not sure if that bill will ever be passed. I think it's going to take local decisionmakers to make this happen. So this is a shout out to San Jose City Council - stand up, don't back down, stop the excuses.
This has got to stop.
Are we accountable to NO ONE? Let's not shame our children by allowing wasteful activity to continue. Thank you Save The Bay, and thank you others for sharing this information.
Let's be responsible with what we've been given, both our Planet and our Opportunity to save it.
Thanks to Save the Bay for continuing to bring crucial issues ilke this to light. We should all encourage our communities to support plastic bag bans through education and action!
I was horrified to hear what the ACC is doing to try to keep SF and other progressive cities from taking action to protect our natural resources from plastic bag pollution. Hooray to Save the Bay for tackling this issue and for bringing this message to the public. It is time for all of us to take responsibility for the health of the Bay and our oceans. This means making conscious lifestyle changes in our every day activities. We all have reusable bags in our house. Get them out, put them in your car, and bring them to the store with you. It may not seem like a big deal, but if everyone does this, the cumulative impact will be significant. In Ireland, people are shamed in the street for carrying plastic bags; let's create that social shift in California and the rest of the U.S! It is uncool to carry plastic bags, it is uncool to carry plastic bags, it is uncool to carry plastic bags....
BYOB all the way! Thank you Save the Bay for your efforts to open citizens eyes to the importance of ridding the environment of hazardous plastic pollution.
Up here in Seattle we are battling the plastics lobby - the Exxon-funded American Chemistry Council - that is willing to spend as much as it takes to get Seattleites to vote no to a Green Fee on August 18 (Ref 1). Our City Council passed a bag fee (20 cents for take-home bags - paper or plastic - at grocery and convenience stores) last July. Then the ACC paid signature gatherers $2 a signature (double the going rate) to get it stopped and sent to a voter referendum! We have launched a big fight (greenbagcampaign.org).
We have a huge job to do up here to restore the health of our beautiful Puget Sound. Plastic bags create a pathway that delivers toxic chemicals to wildlife (believe me, we have large loads of toxic chemicals in the Sound already). Shredded bits of plastic film (i.e., plastic bags) are the 2nd largest amount of bits of plastic found in the N Pacific Gyre samples.
Anna Cummins and Marcus Ericson - from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation - were just here as part of their JUNK ride. Marcus sailed a raft (the JUNK) last year to Hawaii to highlight the problem of plastics in the ocean. To him, this is a moral issue. How can we continue to let disposable plastics flow in our stormwaters out into the ocean where the bits accumulate?
Heather Trim, Urban Bays and Toxics Program Manager, People For Puget Sound, 206.382.7007 X215, htrim@pugetsound.org, url: pugetsound.org
As a printer and tuned to, among other things, the paper industry ...
Perhaps we could go back to unbleached paper bags since Americans, at large, are too opaque to carry "green bags" with them. That, and the fact that my favorite grocery chain has recently suspended their green-bag program because of shrinkage issues.
I know the printing industry is going the way of blacksmiths, but perhaps the mills can somehow survive.
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