Bag It....But Only in Paper

The Daily Journal is commenting on the spread of the plastic bag ban here.

By this summer, almost all cities in San Mateo County will have adopted a reusable bag ordinance, banning plastic bags at most retail stores.

The ordinance that is being adopted by most cities — which is based on one that was passed by the county and enacted in unincorporated areas last year — will require grocery stores to use paper bags made of at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled materials. Stores must charge at least 10 cents per paper bag.

“If anything, it’s going to help businesses,” said Chris Delios, manager of Trag’s Market in San Mateo.  Charging 10 cents per paper bag will cut store costs.  “Right now, we are giving away bags,” he said.

But I have heard one interesting counter argument:  for a dime a bag some customers will choose to not take any bag and then the merchant's other staff are left to wonder if the item leaving the store was shoplifted or not!  Good point that I'm guessing those who voted for this did not consider.

Comments

[hillsider]

I read this on my way to the grocery store then a lady was asking the checker when plastic was going away and how much the paper bags would cost. He thought it was 10 cents and she was not pleased.

[Anne]

Of course the Traq's guy loves this. He gets to charge 10 cents for something that costs him 3 cents and feel good that he is saving the whales.

[jennifer]

Okay guys, we are way behind on this one. Europe in the 80s, you had to bring your own bag, or pay for whatever they wanted to charge for a plastic one- at the time I don't recall any paper. After a couple of trips forking out change most people got with the program and learned to bring their own canvas totes with them. Plastic is given out so freely here, and many times it gets doubled up for stength by over zealous baggers. Yes, there are ways to reuse it, and I do, but eventually, it is still garbage that only slowly, if ever, degrades. So much ends up blown around the streets and highways, littering the landscape-- eventually the pieces end up in the drainage system or blow directly into the bay or ocean. It is really disgusting. And by the way, whatever to the "Don't Be a Litterbug" days? I guess they went out the window with manners- what a shame........

[HMB]

They've been doing this a while in the South Bay and in Millbrae. You can still get the small plastic bags for the meat and produce, and you should see how some people yank off yards and yards of the bags and just stuff them in their pockets or handbags.
And then there are the folks who say reusing bags is unsanitary -- well, from the look of some of the shopping carts and all the leaky and often disgusting goop on the checkout conveyor belts and the shelves (ugh, those people who leave used diapers or half-eaten sandwiches on store shelves!), I'd say the groceries are pretty unsanitary already before they are even bagged!
If you want fresh, new bags, plastic or paper, you can buy your own in bulk for less than 10 cents apiece at Smart and Final! Or get some sturdy canvas bags that are easy to throw in the wash.

[Michelle]

Well I plan to still pay for paper bags because I use them for, guess what . . . recycling! I don't want to walk out to the bin every time I have a used container so I keep a paper bag in the kitchen and when it is full I take it out the the bin.