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NPR Asks About Disposable and Reusable Shopping Bags

In a segment titled TELL ME MORE, Michel Martin of NPR News recently conducted an interview with Michel Bolinder of the group Anacostia Riverkeeper and Nick Gillespie, the editor-in-chief of the libertarian magazine, Reason. These gentlemen sat down together to discuss the pros and cons of fees or taxes levied against disposable plastic bags and outright bans on these disposable bags, as well as the environmental and societal impact of measures taken to curb plastic bag use in favor of reusable shopping bags.

Fort McMurray’s Curious Problem

The folks of Fort McMurray in Alberta Canada have been living with a disposable bag ban for about 9 months, and while there have been some bumps in the road things are going very well. In 2010 the regional council unanimously voted to ban single-use plastic and paper shopping bags after the residents handed over a petition in favor of a ban with 2,300 signatures. The ban went into effect in September 2011 and the residents have been adjusting to life with reusable grocery bags and shopping ever since.

Carmel and Pacific Grove Latest California Cities to Ponder Plastic Bag Ban

At the rate things have been going it should not be long before there are more cities in the state of California with bans on disposable plastic shopping bags than cities and towns without such bans. Northern California is a hotbed of bag ban activity, although the southern portion of the state has been making tremendous strides in the past year. Carmel-by-the-Sea and Pacific Grove are two of the more recent California cities navigating the plastic bag ban waters in favor of going reusable for grocery bags and shopping bags.

Windham Weighs Bag Ban

After a local 8th grader made a proposal to the Town Council in Windham, Maine the town, located about 16 miles northwest of Portland, found itself in a predicament. The student, Sierra Yost, made a presentation urging the Council to ban single-use plastic shopping bags and impose a 10-cent fee on non-recyclable paper bags in stores larger than 2,500 square feet. Yost was inspired after seeing the documentary film, ‘Bag It.’

SeaWorld Bans Plastic Bags in all Parks

Last year SeaWorld in San Diego looked at ways to reduce plastic bags in conjuncture with the opening of the Turtle Reef attraction. The program has been such a success that the company plans to eliminate plastic bags in all 10 locations across the country over the next year. SeaWorld Orlando will discontinue the use of plastic bags to coincide with the opening of their latest attraction, Turtle Trek. The devastating toll plastic bags wreck on the environment hit especially close to home for SeaWorld. Caring for wildlife and their natural habitats is part of SeaWorld’s mission.

The City of LA Ponders Double Bag Ban

Los Angeles County has been hard at work drafting and implementing a ban on plastic bags that also calls to charge a fee to use paper bags; however, this ban only applies to the unincorporated areas of the County – the areas that do not fall under any municipalities. Not to be outdone, the City of Los Angeles has decided to put their own bag ban into action. This ban has been described as “one of the most aggressive actions against single-use bags in the nation.

Vermont Takes on Landfills

Landfills are a bit of a necessary evil. We need a place to toss trash, but when you round up everyone’s trash and throw it in one big heap you end up with a tremendous eyesore that just continues to grow and grow. The state of Vermont is thinking about limiting the amount of refuse headed for the landfills. A bill was passed in the House recently that called for a study to be conducted to determine how different types of waste materials are handled. The plan is to increase recycling efforts so less garbage takes up space in landfills.

New York Community Bans Plastic Bags

Southampton, New York is the oldest settlement in the state, and the residents decided to make their home the first in another regard: Southampton is the first community in the state of New York to ban disposable plastic bans. After a year of public hearings the town rallied and the ban was approved. The notion of the bag ban picked up momentum amid concerns about the choking hazard plastic bags pose to wildlife and unsightly litter. The road to the ban was not without issues and disputes, but the residents and the town board were able to work together to make the plastic bag ban a reality. “I think it is all good, I think it’s all for the best. I’m really proud of the town,” said resident Julia Gruen.

Charges Brought Against LA County After Ban Implemented

Over the last several months Los Angeles County rolled out a plan to ban plastic disposable bags in an effort to make the area free from plastic litter and to combat the negative environmental impact caused by plastic bags. The ban went into action in stages. The first stage went into law July 1, 2011 and banned the use of plastic bags in major retailers. Phase II extended the ban to smaller establishments on January, 1 2012.

Champaign Proposes Disposable Bag Tax

Champaign, Illinois is throwing around the idea of placing a tax on disposable plastic and paper bags. The goal is simple: to reduce the community’s carbon footprint. The secondary benefit of such a tax would be the revenue. The bag tax could raise nearly $200,000 in revenue for Champaign, according to Angela Adams, recycling coordinator for the City of Champaign. The money would go back to the community and would be used to finance programs and resources for the City, including an education campaign on recycling.

San Francisco Slammed with Bag Ban Lawsuit

Sometimes agreeing to disagree is just not an option. The city of San Francisco was recently on the receiving end of a lawsuit that claims the San Francisco Board of Supervisors violated the California Environmental Quality Control Act by not submitting the new ban, which expanded the existing ban put into action in 2007, to a lengthy environmental review before passing the measure. The suit was brought by Steven Joseph, of the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition. Joseph has filed a number of lawsuits against counties and cities all over the state of California fighting efforts to reduce the consumption of disposable plastic bags and encourage reusable grocery bags.

Big Island Bans Plastic Bags

Hawaii is known for its stunning natural beauty and this environment is very much tied into the culture and the day-to-day life of those who call the island chain home. This makes unsightly litter all the more unsettling. To help protect the beauty and integrity of their home and to do right by the environment the Hawaii County Council approved a bill to ban plastic bags on the Big Island in favor of reusable bags for shopping and groceries. The bill barely passed with the 5 minimum votes needed to get the measure in front of the mayor, Billy Kenoi, who in turn waited till the last day possible to sign the bill into law.

Mukilteo Encourages Sustainability and Reusable Bags

Washington State is quickly becoming a hotbed for reusable shopping bags among more and more plastic bag bans. As another city recently passed ordinance number 1294, also known as the Solid Waste and Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance. The City Council voted on the ordinance with a strong 7-0 vote and starting January 1, 2013, retail establishments in the city will not be able to give customers plastic disposable bags.

Act Two of San Francisco’s Bag Ban

It is well known by now that San Francisco was one of the first cities in North America to ban plastic bags. The initial law that went into action in 2007 banned plastic disposable bags from being distributed in large grocery stores and chain pharmacies. The reasoning was groundbreaking back in 2007 since the notion of banning plastic bags was still in its infancy, but it was simple enough: plastic bags are not biodegradable so when they are tossed in landfills they just take up space. Furthermore, disposable bags wreak havoc on the ocean, wildlife, and their habitats, they clog sewer systems and storm drains, and they have a tendency to end up as litter.

Stores Impose Single Use Plastic Bag Bans of Their Own

Many stores have decided to make an impact and charge for disposable bags or ban plastic bags altogether. Many of these policies are in response to environmental issues or the increasing number of bans being implemented across the country. Whatever the reason, when stores charge a fee or ban disposable bags the purpose is to encourage the use of sustainable eco-friendly reusable bags.

Sioux Lookout’s Failed Bag Ban

In an unprecedented turn of events, Sioux Lookout, in Ontario, Canada has rescinded the bag ban put into place in September 2010. A town bylaw implemented the ban on single-use plastic bags which were not to be sold or given away within the town. The plan was structured with a 1-year phase-in period to allow residents to get used to an existence free of disposable bags. During the phase-in period, warnings were issued to anyone violating the law, but after that period fines would be charged to those selling or giving away disposable plastic bags.

A Global Look at Plastic Bag Bans

Over the last several years cities have contemplated and/or put bans on plastic bags into motion. Those who support the bans cite the environmental impacts. But even still laws are sometimes not enough to stop the use of single-use plastic bags in favor of reusable grocery bags. Read more about cities and countries struggle of dealing with this growing problem.

Take the trash out of the landfill – go reusable

It’s becoming increasingly clear that landfill is no solution to the global garbage problem. It’s just a convenient – and all-too-temporary. What was convenient for the waste-dumper has turned out to be far from convenient for the rest of us; or for the overstressed environment. And while today’s landfill sites are a far cry from the giant holes in the ground common until the 1970s – which leaked like sieves into the local water supply – today’s tighter controls and regulations only delay, rather than eliminate, the environmental problems of landfill. Even a small change like going with reusable shopping bags is a move in the right direction.

10 Amazing Facts About Bamboo

From Eco-pens to bikes to iPad sleeves, bamboo has become the sought after renewable sustainable material to use on everyday items. The bamboo material’s strength, natural beauty & regenerative properties are just some of the reasons for its popularity. Here are 10 more amazing facts and reasons why we love bamboo and use it on many of our eco-promotional items.

6 Simple things you can do right now to help Green your company (#EcoMonday)

Some businesses have a hard time jumping on board the environmental movement. Uncertainties of cost increase and apprehensions of changing procedures stop them in their tracks.