[Iowa-dx] Fwd: SF supes vote to ban plastic bags in stores

[hhart@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu]

(Mirkarimi is a Green)

  SF supes vote to ban plastic bags in stores

Charlie Goodyear, Chronicle Staff Writer <mailto:cgoodyear@sfchronicle.com>

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi hands out canvas ...
<http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=3D/c/a/2007/03/27/BAG1ROSLSG4.DT=
L&o=3D0>


*(03-27) 14:45 PDT SAN FRANCISCO* -- San Francisco's Board of
Supervisors voted 10-1 this afternoon to make the city the first in the
nation to prohibit petroleum-based plastic checkout bags in large
markets and pharmacies.

On the first of two votes needed for final passage, supervisors approved
legislation sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi that would mandate
the use of biodegradable plastic bags or recyclable paper bags. The
legislation would take effect in about six months for some 50 large
markets in San Francisco and would apply in about 12 months to large
drugstore chains such as Walgreen's and Rite-Aid.

"Hopefully, other cities and states will follow suit," said Mirkarimi.

Mirkarimi introduced his legislation earlier this year after the
collapse of an agreement between the California Grocers Association and
the city. That agreement was supposed to reduce by 10 million the
estimated 180 million plastic bags distributed to shoppers in 2006. The
grocers association said it cut use of the bags by 7.6 million but the
city said those figures were unreliable.

Aside from the petroleum required to manufacture them, plastic bags are
blamed for gumming up recycling machines, taking up space in landfills
and killing or sickening marine mammals.

The grocers association argues that it already has plastic bag recycling
centers operating in many large markets and that new compostable bags
could confuse recycling efforts.

Supervisor Ed Jew, who said he has heard from constituents wondering why
supervisors have spent so much time on the issue of plastic bags, was
the only member to vote against the legislation.

/E-mail Charlie Goodyear at cgoodyear@sfchronicle.com
<mailto:cgoodyear@sfchronicle.com>/


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