Seattle going crazy over plastic, paper bags
In case you missed it, the news coming out of Seattle the last four months has not so covertly been undercut by one single, shining topic…. (no, not the Sonics!)… disposable bags!
That’s right. Way back in April, Mayor Nickels decided to wage war against the mighty plastic and paper grocery bag. Since then, it has grown into legend and become the most important story on everybody’s lips.
Today, that war has ended. As of January 1, if you use a plastic or paper grocery bag from a drug, convenience, or grocery store… you will be charged 20 cents per bag.
You might think I’m being flippant (and ok, maybe a part of me is) but really, I’m only half joking. The news that this topic has generated since April… is a tad unbelievable. Doubt me? In the Seattle Times, everyone from Danny Westneat to Nancy Leson have chimed in, never mind the actual news stories. Want blogs? Try The Stranger, WorldChanging Seattle, Greenhuman…. you get the point (then again I’m also culpable as this is now the second time I’ve posted about this on the blog. hmmmm). Want to read the press release, check out the Rainier Valley Post.
I’m not undermining that disposable bag use is disgusting. According to SPU, there are 360 million disposable bags used every year in-city. But seriously, I have an insane amount of press releases in my in box about this topic on either side. I’ve been a little shocked, actually, given that the mainstream media in this state has given virtually no coverage to issues like greenhouse gas inclusion in SEPA or even the Living Building Challenge. I guess disposable bags are just easier to write about.
Then again my co-worker, Shawna Gamache, used to live in St. Petersburg (I know, cool right?) and she says it’s the same thing: you bring your own bag or you pay. (She also says public places require you bring toilet paper. Not so sure I like that one.) Come to think about it, when I lived in France they looked at you with a queasy eye when you didn’t bring your own bag…..
I know I try to bring a reusable bag, but sometimes I forget. Maybe with the city kicking me, I’ll finally remember it when I walk in the grocery door. Or maybe it’ll be yet another daily annoyance.
What do you think about the decision? Am I way off base here or are there more important things we should be worrying (and picketing) about?
In a separate ordinance, the council also banned polystyrene food containers from restaurants and packing from grocery stores beginning Jan. 1, 2009. For more about that, see any of the blogs cited above.
Tags: foam containers, Greenhouse gasses, Mayor Greg Nickels, plastic bags, products, Seattle, Seattle City Council, Waste
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July 29th, 2008 at 12:42 am
I think you’re right on. I think the City of Seattle has far more important things to deal with. I think government should help inform and educate people about no using plastic bags, however, creating a tax that tries to force change is wrong. Treat people like smart people and they will come to conclusion that there might be better choices. Ramming this down their throat and it might just make people angry and even rebel. I like the idea that companies like Whole Foods has been selling those reusable canvas bags for a while. I have those and have been using them for the last year. I didn’t need a tax to make a change in my behavior. One question that I think should be addressed is where does the money go for all those people that continue to use plastic bags? Is that going to a general fund? Is it going to further improve the environment?
July 29th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
While I completely agree that this city has more important issues to deal with, I don’t think a 20-cent charge is really ramming anything down people’s throats. In my opinion, I think it is about time that this city (furthermore, this country) actually made some stand-up changes to encourage people to change their destructive habits. Our environment is threatened daily by people’s laziness and reliance on materials like plastic & Styrofoam. It is so easy to take reusable bags and begin new habits when it comes to shopping. I say that while there may be bigger fish to fry, small steps like this one, WILL make a difference.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is about the grocery bags. We lived in Europe for a summer and take annual trips there and they charge you for your bags however most people bring their own.
I think it’s a great idea and Americans are really behind the times on some of these issues. Europe, in my opinion, should be looked at as a model for America in terms of the environement—Switzerland (one of the countries, closest to my heart) is a primary example of how to save energy, use natural resources and still create a beautiful, fresh place to live.