There has been a vast amount of comment about the Mayor Bailey’s proposal to ban the use of single use plastic shopping bags in commercial establishments within the town boundaries. The main objection appears to be that this ban is an abridgement of one’s right to choose their own carry-home container. That argument most often comes from those who believe that much of governmental action is contrary to their constitutional rights. However, we as a people often do require the restriction of some behaviors so that we might live together more amicably ( most zoning), respect others rights (most ordinances), and protect the life and liberty of the majority and the minority (most laws).
In Washington, the present majority in the House of Representatives is advocating major cuts in spending. Politically speaking, banning single use plastic bags is exactly the same thing, and all Tea Party members and fiscal conservatives should reach out to support this ban. Why, you ask?
Here and now, our nation is in the middle of an oil binging party, powering every aspect of our society with vast amounts of the world’s oil… because we can. We are using our generations share, plus our children’s share, and grandchildren’s share, whether or not you agree that we are usurping more than our share of the world’s oil, even though we are drilling for it there and taking it from there. And for what? So we can make a trillion bags, use them each once (or twice if it’s recycled), and then bury the majority of them in a landfill? That is worse that spending money we don’t have, it is abusing a vital natural resource that is dirty to drill for, ruinous to refine, yet still the most valuable and limited resource we have as a society. Wars are caused by it and fought for it. In anyone’s world view, wasting such a valuable resource so we don’t have to remember to bring our reusable bags with us when we go shopping is unthinkingly wasteful. How can we protect it as our constitutionally given right, when it is so environmentally wrong? Just because we can “afford it”, does that make it right?
“But, it’s only a little oil“, you say? One bag is a little oil, a trillion bags is not. In a little over 150 years, we have used up over half of the oil we believe to be buried in the earth, and almost all of the “easy” oil, that which is relatively easy to retrieve. That which remains is deeper and dirtier; think Gulf of Mexico deep or shale oil extraction dirty.
If we owe it to our children, as a society, not to spend their future, we surely owe it to those same children not to burn up their oil, litter their environment, and pock their terrain with landfills full of plastic bags, just so we don’t have to plan ahead when we go shopping. Have we become that…. you finish the sentence.
Bob Ingersoll
Amy says
Thank you 🙂
Jane Hukill says
Excellent editorial and right on the issue(s) – Thanks so much.
Steve Payne says
And paper bags stand up on the front seat all by themselves!
But seriously. Americans haven’t shown that they take the oil situation seriously. We make small improvements in some things but the amount of oil imported has continued to increase until the economy dropped off a few years ago. It’s still alot more than any other country.
We need to do big things, not small things.
Cynthia McGinnes says
When one gets up on a soapbox, one must have all the facts. No one is addressing the fact that the re-usable cloth bags are bacteria breeding grounds and must be washed in detergent after each use to be completely safe. By legislating the use of these bags, and requesting companies to endorse and give away free cloth reusable bags, the Mayor is putting both the town and these companies at risk of liability in the millions if a child gets sick with e.coli, and the cloth bag used for the family’s groceries tests positive for e.coli. Think of the bacteria that is on the pavement of the parking lot, the back of the station wagon or even in the shopping cart..all places where these bags are rested….recent tests on shopping carts show that the handles of 75% of them carry e.coli bacteria. A small town in Idaho just declared bankruptcy because of a $4.4 million judgement against it.
I’m not sure good intentions ever are safe from the Laws of Unintended Consequences…in this case, risking job loss, potential illness for children and elderly citizens, and huge legal liabilities with their tax increases if a judgement is awarded against the town by passing this ordinance. Perhaps it is better to try to convince people by example to use alternative bagging. It has ever been impossible to legislate morality.
Cynthia McGinnes
Keith Thompson says
I’m a huge believer in the technology surrounding electric or hybrid electric/gasoline powered automobiles. I don’t yet own one because the economic benefits haven’t yet matched the expense of purchasing one. I know eventually as the demand for such vehicles rises, the prices will come down and it will make the technology work for me economically. However, if the government were to force me to make that conversion now, the expense would wipe me out financially.
The parallel with the plastic bag in Chestertown is similar. The longterm economic benefit of getting rid of plastic bags is not in question, but the short term benefits of passing such a ban in Chestertown will be less than a drop in the bucket in dealing with the problem especially given the economic challenges facing the town. In time, local businesses will be able to make the adjustment; but to force this short term leaves many business owners scrambling to adjust and in this economy, any temporary hardship could prove fatal, especially if the citizens of the town are slow to react to the changes. There are far more pressing issues facing the town (marina, Park Row, Armory, Stepne Manor, etc.) and the town needs to come to grips with developing an economic plan around these these issues rather than blazing ahead with a plastic bag ban. The ban proposal is something that should be much lower on the totem pole of town priorities.
One other thing to keep in mind is that most of the communities that have passed similar bans are large or medium market communities that do significant business for their franchise owners because of the high volume of customers, so the short term economic effect is minimal . Chestertown is a very small fringe market meaning that franchises that operate businesses here operate on a very low profit margin due to the smaller customer base. Don’t be surprised if many such stores will simply close when their leases are up because it will no longer be worth it economically to do business here. These larger communities may be able to absorb the loss of a business or two. I don’t think Chestertown can afford the loss of even one local business right now given that so many residents already do their shopping elsewhere.
Diane Fitzgerald says
One of the many benefits of living in Chestertown is our clean and safe community. Along with us, our Town’s visitors and tourists enjoy these “basic” necessities everyday. Our Town’s Government provides and maintains all the services and benefits which support these needs and we often take this for granted.
As Bob Ingersoll explained above, the damages caused by using plastic shopping bags for years has negatively impacted our global environment. Remember Styrofoam fast food containers? They were found to be “negatively impacting the global environment”…changes were made.
WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE in safe-guarding our environment, whether through a big effort or a small step.
Pat Kraegel says
A number of towns, cities, counties & individual stores here in CA have discontinued the use of plastic bags. I’m pretty sure this hasn’t caused any business to fail. To be sure, there have been many failures due to otherreasons (Wall Street greed, lack of regulation, etc.). If anything, not having to provide plastic bags is a cost savings. Many already used cloth bags voluntarily so it wasn’t difficult to adjust. In most cases the ban was introduced with lots of forewarning; fazed in over a few weeks time. Really the only drawback I can think of
to a total city or county or even state-wide ban is that I’d have to buy garbage bags! A small price to pay…
Holding on by a thread! says
Are any of you familiar with the Island of trash that calmly floats around in the Pacific Ocean and is the size of Texas. This island is almost completely formed from plastics, plastic bags that is. If you travel to other parts of the world where the economies can not afford 4-hers (among others) cleaning the roadways, you will find plastic bags everywhere; most people refer to them as “the scourge of the earth” in places like India. Why would we want to contribute to this scene?
The notion that a reusable bag will spread disease is ridiculous. The spread of disease is usually caused by hand to hand contact; wash your hands. I happen to rinse my bags with every use since mine are made from a parachute material – all recycled of course.
Everyone should support the Mayor’s brilliant decision. The merchants should ask local patrons to bring their own luggage. And everyone should also read the NY Times article (from Friday) about the importance of regulation and why it often helps to frame the future. Look at it as a great opportunity……not just to save “something” for future generations, but to create a new idea or a new way of thinking. Bravo Mayor Bailey!
I would also recommend that we all start supporting our local shops with our “home brought luggage” in toe to do something really nice for Chestertown and Kent County.
Jeannette Parish says
Why not give the patron a 5 cent credit on their bill for bringing their own bag? Giant Foods does it. That is a positive attitude rather than a fine for using them as suggested. That will cut down on plastic bag usage as people become used to taking ( & washing ) their own when shopping.
Cynthia McGinnes says
I agree with the idea of giving a credit if the stores can afford it…a carrot is always a better incentive than a stick, and if the use of alternative bagging is voluntary, not mandatory, then there is no liability for the town. The re-use of cloth bags does not spread disease to others, but it can..and does..contaminate the food of the person who reuses a bag without washing it. The only way it can spread disease is if someone else,such as a friend’s child, eats food that has been carried home in someone;s dirty bag, gets sick, and…as is the way, decides to sue!
Cynthia McGinnes
Keith Thompson says
Pat, I have a question. How many of those towns in California that have banned plastic bags are similar to Chestertown in terms of size, fringe market status, or economic situation? Are these towns that have been economically vibrant or are they towns that are struggling? Are these towns that are somewhat adjacent to and therefore a part of medium or major markets or are they fringe market towns like Chestertown? Are these towns that have enough local shopping opportunities so that most residents shop in their town or are these towns like Chestertown where residents much shop outside of the county in order to buy many of the products they want or need?
One problem I think that many of the proponents of the ban overlook is that they see how these bans have impacted other localities and yet these localities are far different that what you have in Chestertown. What works in places like Toronto or Washington, DC isn’t necessarily going to work here. The other problem is the attitude I think that certain town leaders have with the business community. It certainly doesn’t give town businesses the warm and fuzzies over this proposal when I ask the mayor about the concerns that some business owners have with this ordinance and her response is “I don’t care”. I would guess that in the other communities where bans have been enacted, the town or county has worked with local businesses to ease that transition and have made them a part of the process rather than simply saying “we’re doing this, so deal with it”. Chestertown already has a reputation of being unfrlendly to business and this enhances that reputation.
Keith Thompson says
Pat, I have a question. How many of those towns in California that have banned plastic bags are similar to Chestertown in terms of size, fringe market status, or economic situation? Are these towns that have been economically vibrant or are they towns that are struggling? Are these towns that are somewhat adjacent to and therefore a part of medium or major markets or are they fringe market towns like Chestertown? Are these towns that have enough local shopping opportunities so that most residents shop in their town or are these towns like Chestertown where residents must shop outside of the county in order to buy many of the products they want or need?
One problem I think that many of the proponents of the ban overlook is that they see how these bans have impacted other localities and yet these localities are far different that what you have in Chestertown. What works in places like Toronto or Washington, DC isn’t necessarily going to work here. The other problem is the attitude I think that certain town leaders have with the business community. It certainly doesn’t give town businesses the warm and fuzzies over this proposal when I ask the mayor about the concerns that some business owners have with this ordinance and her response is “I don’t care”. I would guess that in the other communities where bans have been enacted, the town or county has worked with local businesses to ease that transition and have made them a part of the process rather than simply saying “we’re doing this, so deal with it”. Chestertown already has a reputation of being unfriendly to business and this enhances that reputation.
Warrior Bob Kramer says
Ms McGinnes…
Try Lysol disinfectant spray on your bags and they will be more bacteria free than your hands, cutting boards or sponges at home. And… if you handle a package of raw meat at the grocery store, your hands will have 5 to 10 times more bacteria than your re-usable bags by the time you get home.
Most re-usable bags now are made from recycled plastic and other materials that are less bacteria friendly than the old cotton/canvas bags.
And you don’t have to look any further than DC to see a shining example of what this proposal can do. DC is projected to save one BILLION plastic bags over the next five years and the businesses will save close to 10 million $$$’s in operating expenses. Every place that a plastic ban has been implemented has reduced the number of platic bags by 95%… and businesses have reduced their operating expenses. Go to Ireland and see what green really looks like. They’ve lived and thrived (environmentally) for a couple of years now.
Plastic bags are obsolete. Only the Plastics Industry and the petroleum companies haven’t gotten the message.
Steve Payne says
I just want to clarify that I don’t oppose this regulation. But mostly on environment grounds.
Since the letter was mostly about oil it triggered my rant about the larger oil situation facing this country. Once americans show a resistance to higher prices and do what’s needed to get off oil, the oil companies will stop keeping the supplies tight. They like the prices high. But I think it’s up to us.
Philip R. Dutton says
I am curious about the impact on farmers from all the plastic bags that I see in the fields around here. Seems to me these bags would become tangled in equipment and be a nuisance for our farming friends. And, that’s besides being downright ugly. Any farmers out there who can respond to this? I support the ban. We need to start changing our behaviors and our attitudes.
kathleen says
Here in Ireland, free plastic bags have been outlawed for years. You have to pay for them. Most people carry their own reusable bags. In Germany, the bags are legal, but most groceries charge a hefty fee, so people reuse cloth ones, which they wash and iron, or have their own wicker market baskets. In Ireland, one result is a lot of very elegant paper bags from good shops, which tend to get used over and over again, as well, particularly the ones from Brown Thomas, the country’s fanciest department store, which come with ribbons! A lot of things are presented in these that were never in the actual store.
It’s a difficult adjustment at first, but it can indeed work. Here we are busy demanding more government regulations, by the way, since the lack of it has all but bankrupted the country, with the result that all of us are suddenly paying a lot more taxes. Another popular example of regulation has been one of the world’s strongest indoor smoking bans.
Keith Thompson says
Kathleen, a question for you. When Ireland implemented the ban, did the government consult with the businesses there to get feedback on how to ease the transition or did the government simply ram it through and tell the businesses to deal with it? The anger over this I get from the business community in Chestertown isn’t as much over the ban than it is with the concern that they haven’t thought it through very well and that they haven’t been approached for feedback. I’m willing to bet that in communities where this has been passed and has been successful, the government has worked in partnership with the business community rather than treating them as adversaries.
kathleen says
Keith, I wasn’t in Ireland yet when the ban was implemented. I know that the local plastic bag companies went out of business, and that their owners had to build new ones around different products. But the Irish government isn’t exactly famous for consulting with small businesses, judging from the way that pubs complain about the smoking ban and the crackdown on drunk driving. The main impetus here for the ban on plastic bags was to cut down on litter, which has also been behind bans in Bangladesh, where they were clogging drains. Since most of the paper bags one gets, especially from better shops (grocery stores don’t stock them) are quite substantial, they are in fact used over and over again.
John Seidel says
The suggestions that this ban is being rushed and that businesses have had little opportunity for input or to react are a real stretch. The Mayor & Council have been talking about this problem since at least January of 2010, and they considered other options, such as fees, that were ruled out on legal grounds. Business owners were invited to discuss the issue with the Town in Feb. of 2010 and could have joined the discussion with constructive comments at any time. Suggestions such as a 5 cent rebate are fine, but the businesses themselves would have to do it – but they haven’t.
It seems to me that a process that runs for over 14 months, followed by a 6 month phase-in, is time enough. This is anything but a unilateral rush to act. The Mayor and Council should be commended for being proactive, but at the same time thoughtful and deliberate.
Tom Martin says
As a local downtown business owner, I have to say that I am flattered that so many people appear to be speaking on my behalf and representing my interests. Maybe one of these days I’ll even meet some of them. However, as far as Bookplate is concerned, the use of plastic bags was discontinued so long ago I can’t remember in what year I placed my last order. My business has neither cratered nor been imperiled as a result. I’ve seen the edge but it sure as hell did not appear because of a plastic bag!! A plastic bag will neither make me go under nor allow me to go public. Indeed, my experience has been the opposite: when I had plastic bags, people accepted hesitatingly while many flat out refused them. More often than not, I felt like BP in the Gulf when I packed books or pottery into a plastic bag. When I pulled out a plastic bag to use, some customers looked at me like I was about to fill it with cat kaka rather than Jan Karon (not much difference many critics would say). This was a clear sign to me what many people were thinking; this was in your face market research: people would rather be part of the solution than problem. As such, I discontinued plastic bags and saved money as a result. Maybe not as much as would be needed to compensate for the five years I was in business during the Bush Administration’s economic depredations but any bit helps. However, I still use paper bags. While attractive and handy, they also have high environmental drawbacks, most of which have been outlined by others more up on the science or closer to corporate sposkespeople than I. However, I will soon drop paper bags as well. What was once a useful courtesy for customers is now a sign of almost lavish extravagance. I no longer extend the courtesy of a bag to all customers and would guess the turn down rate for a bag when proffered at aboout 80% anyway. When I discontinue paper bags and utitlize used or recycled ones (hoping I don’t serve up a course of the plague in the meantime) my savings will be significant. When customers purchase in quantity, it is always wiser to use a box any way and I can always walk goods to a car neaby if help is needed. Just another way of saying thank you. Lastly, if one’s enterprise is in danger of collapse as a result of transition from plastic bag to reusable one, I have to say I am envious that the price of gas, greed, utility bills, local unemployment, contracting tax base, shrinking employment benefits, government-mandated reductions in pay (coming to a place near us?), multiple wars, wall street subsidies and the inexorable pauperization of the American working middle class in general has had such a negligble impact on your bottom line. Lastly, since all opponents of the bag bill seem to be an echo for various business interests, I am a little perplexed why there has not been a wave of hiring due to the savings effected by so many businesses as so many of our fellow citizens have unilaterally adopted recycled bags, thereby saving businesses significant amounts of cash already. If the losses are to be great, then the benefits that have been accruing by companies using thousands and thousands of fewer plastic bags over the last few years must be sizeable. However, in the end, what will save the businesses of downtown Chestertown, or anywhere for that matter, are products that appeal to people at acceptable prices. Or put in another way, cold cash rather than hot air.
Keith Thompson says
@Tom, your last sentence says it best…”However, in the end, what will save the businesses of downtown Chestertown, or anywhere for that matter, are products that appeal to people at acceptable prices. Or put in another way, cold cash rather than hot air.” In a nutshell, I interpret that to mean that the biggest priority is to get the town’s economy moving and the proposed plastic bag ordinance isn’t the top priority for making that happen.
In your case as a businessman and bookstore owner, you have seen the benefit of making the change away from plastic bags, but its a decision that has worked for you. It’s not something all of the business owners in town have figured out how to make work. I don’t know if the Bookplate (or any business) has been a part of the conversation with the mayor, but I’ve run into several business owners in town who haven’t been involved in the process and feel left out of the process. For this to work, it has to be a community effort and the town government needs to hear from everyone in the business community so they will know what some of these businesses will have to do to adapt. The attitude of some of the business owners is that the town really doesn’t care about them and that is the crux of their problems with this proposed ordinance and why they feel its being rushed.
Joel Brandes says
Having just returned from Florida where the Publix supermarket chain has containers in front of their stores, to accept plastic bags for re-cycleling, I wonder if that has been explored here.
MBTroup says
@Joel – They have them at the Acme. The unintended consequence is that what Acme will have to change in one area, they’ll have to make up for it in another. If they increase their inventory of paper bags, they’ll likely 86 recycling. I’m told that the recycling industry would really rather not deal with these bags, despite their recyclability (an inputs vs outputs situation).
stellaL says
In many european countries the only place one would have their just purchased items put in plastic bags
is street markets. Most stores, no matter how humble, would never put their merchandise in plastic. But
seriously, can we just all realize that plastic bags are a blight. Let us all please look towards the future
of our county and care enough about it to take care of it. If a business feels it will suffer by not providing
plastic, just hand over the merchandise without a bag , give a smile and thank them for understanding. I bet they will.
Jason says
It is wrong to compare the “cuts” that the federal government made to the “brave” decision that the town gov. made this month in making this decision. Unlike the federal government, which had to make hard cuts to important programs, the council members simply voted on a measure. YOU, the town, does not absorb the additional costs of 2-5 cents PER bag not to mention that more bags will likely be needed for every sale.
Also let’s consider:
-Brown bags are not resuable in the manner that plastic are.
-Reusable cloth bags are expensive and the town has done nothing other than encourage businesses to give them away. Are you kidding me? Our business cannot afford to give away bags. One year we were did give away bags a a county fair, and we saw less than 10% of them ever come back through our doors
-leading me to my next point: banning plastic does not mean everyone uses cloth, it means we all just end up using more paper and killing more trees.
I have no problem with making progressive changes, but to make changes with no look towards the outcome is moronic.