City Newspaper Archives - 4/2007

ENVIRONMENT: Ban those plastic bags!

Published on Apr 03, 2007

Late last month San Francisco stepped up to seed another national trend. It has nothing to do with gay rights or same-sex marriage or the medicinal use of cannabis. San Francisco struck a blow for all of us by becoming the first city in the US to ban the use of plastic grocery bags. It's enough to make me want to take a trip back to the City by the Bay.

As I watch this morning's quota of discarded bags blowing down the street --- looking like the 21st century's answer to the tumbleweed --- I wonder why Rochesterians don't do the same thing. (Mayor Duffy, are you listening?)

Lack of community vision is what has been hurting the Rochester metro area for decades. The last visionary move in this area --- the Fast Ferry --- has set sail into history. Why not get back on track with a much simpler initiative like this?

The plastic grocery bag issue is an environmental and sustainability sleeper. Most people don't realize --- as they carry their 12 items out of the grocery store in 11 separate bags --- what a devastating force these fairly inadequate little sacks have become.

  • Plastic grocery bags cause the death of over 100,000 sea turtles, as well as other sea life, each year. The floating bags are mistaken for food and eaten.
  • The average American family collects about 60 bags in just four trips to the supermarket.
  • Plastic grocery bags are NOT biodegradable, so they stay right were they land.
  • The U.S. goes through about 100 billion plastic shopping bags every year. That requires about 12 million barrels of oil --- oil that is imported from places like Venezuela and the Middle East.

    • Considering that the bags aren't even very good at their intended use --- I can't count the number of times the pathetic little things have ripped or collapsed, spilling my groceries onto the floor, or the ground, or all over the trunk of the car --- why do we put up with them?

    (I concede that they are pretty good at picking up dog poop. But, then again, that just sends plastic-wrapped poop to the landfill. A gift for the ages?)

    I say, ban the bags! Why not take the lead, and show just a bit of vision? (Once again: Mayor Duffy, are you listening?) Here's a chance to be associated with San Francisco for all the right reasons. It would not even be a difficult idea to sell. People are increasingly aware of the problem.

    To its credit, Wegmans has recently joined the fight by selling sleek, black, re-useable bags for 99 cents at the checkout counters in its stores. (They are from China, but I'll let that dog lie for now, and give credit where credit is due.)

    Perry Vayo, Oxford Street, Rochester