It’s been a whole five months since the town of Chestertown passed its anti-plastic bag ordinance (no. 01-2011), and although it won’t be officially enforced until 1 January 2012, local businesses have been readying themselves for the sea change by making available reusable tote bags.
For some businesses, like Chestertown Natural Foods, the passing of the ordinance was viewed as a necessary step towards taking a larger community initiative to protect the environment, let alone the scenic views up and down 213.
Tina, an employee of the popular health store, hopes to see a decrease in the amount of plastic bags littering the highway on her way to work from Kennedyville. As you might guess, green transitions are no brainers for health food stores and their patrons.
“Most of our customers bring their own bags in, they’ve been shopping that way long before the town stepped in,” said Tina, “But that isn’t the norm around town.”
Indeed, the new ordinance, which met with a failed effort to repeal via referendum in late May, has enjoyed no shortage of general grumbling. For businesses like JBK Hardware, however, the reason hasn’t so much been ideological as economic.
According to one spokesperson, who requested anonymity, the hardware store made the more expensive transition to bio-degradable corn starch bags only to find that the town was only accepting the use of recyclable paper bags, or reusable tote bags.
“It’s going to be quite a bit more for us to switch to paper,” said the spokesperson for JBK, “But we have discussed giving customers incentives to bring their own bags.”
And then, there are the big supermarkets, which by default are responsible for the majority of the plastic trash blowing around.
Fresh and Green, which supplanted the Superfresh some months ago, is making the effort, according to one customer service employee, to encourage people to buy tote bags at a low cost, hoping to wean people off the plastic by January.
Unfortunately, no comment could be obtained within deadline from the Chestertown Acme, which sent this writer on a telephonic wild goose chase up the bureaucratic ladder to Acme’s corporate headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
In response to the question of how the local Acme was preparing for Chestertown’s post plastic age, the media relations specialist I was put in contact with informed me that he had a deadline to meet, and couldn’t comment further. His name is Ryan Noyes, and he can be reached at this number; 610-889-4000. Ex. 4006.
Meanwhile, with the weekend of the Chesapeake Film Festival only three days away, it seems appropriate to mention that one of the films featured this year, Bag It, dovetails nicely into Chestertown’s greater plastic bag discussion.
Directed by Suzan Bereza, the film documents the successful banning of plastic bags in Telluride, Colorado, while acting as a general meditation on the implications of modern waste management practices. The film’s narrator, an amicably polar-fleeced George Costanza look alike is quick to inform us, “I’m not what you’d consider a tree-hugger”.
Rather, “George” (you’ll have to watch the film to find out his real name) frames his a plastic bag blues as an exponent of his desire to merely “do the right thing”, to be a responsible citizen of his town, of the world.
“I mean, we all have a lot of bags right?” narrates “George” a chippy soundtrack of la la las bubbling underneath, images of bags being shoved into closets and under suburban sinks streaming by. Then in a sudden contrast, a tropical beach strewn with junk swims into view, bulldozers lumbering like giant mutant sandcrabs and discolored seabirds dominating the scene.
“Lets face it,” says “George” over the ugly montage, “There’s a dirty little secret here; even if we won’t admit it, just because plastic is disposable, doesn’t mean it goes away, after all, where is away? There is no away.”
Bag It is appropriate for all ages and will be showing at 1pm. Its sponsors include the Town of Chestertown, Washington College’s Center for the Environment and Society, and Adkins Arboretum.
Linda G. Weimer says
Though I am usually in the camp of environmentalists and agree with their positions, I have to
question the necessity of this new law in Chestertown.
I have lived here just one year exactly, and I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of
plastic bags that I have seen in trees in the town. Residents are apparently a neater-than-average
group of people.
If an advocate of the ban says,”Even one bag in one tree is too many”
I would agree in principle; however, we have to ask if the few offenders
should cost all the merchants in town such additional costs.
Stellal says
Linda: curious you did not see many plastic bags. I found that once the issue became a local and national
Topic, I saw bags everywhere—particularly in fields and scrubs. Kent county is acting on a problem that
Nationally will be eliminated in the near future. Plastic bags are going the way of leaded gas.
MBTroup says
I was under the impression that JBK’s bio-bags were sanctioned by the Queen of Green. I wonder if CTR has that interview on file. It was after Jeff and Ira saved the day for the food providers, but before the official vote.
Gerry Maynes says
Hi, Do you also have a film that shows a Plastic Bag Company going out of business, laying off its staff? Perhaps a family once employed by a plastic bag company being disposessed from the home they could no longer pay for; because towns like Chestertown decided
to ban plastic bags. Splendid!
I do believe Chestertown has found one more reason to chase people in to Delaware to shop. On behalf of my fellow delaweareans I say Thank You !
MD Eastern Shore says
If the real goal is the elimination of litter, then the next step must be the closing of the McDonalds drivethrough. Ever notice how many PAPER bags of McDonalds trash you see blowing around the county?
Paul - Rock Hall says
Banning plastic bags may very well be the catalyst for finally instilling a social discipline of conservation and reducing our addiction to oil. It shouldn’t be viewed a a litter issue but seeing the bags everywhere we go should help remind us all of the fundamental proplem of wateful use of oil. Some of us need daily reminders to get us to adopt sensible habits. I just need to remember to bring those reuseable tote bags with me when I leave the house.
Stellal says
Paul in Rock Hall: Very well put. The plastic bag issue is indeed much more than a litter problem.
As far as paper bags? Well, at least they are compostable!
L. Fry says
try to keep an open mind and GO see the film. It’s thoughtful and not judgmental.
Gerry Maynes says
HI, I don!t toss trash out of a car window and frankly trash laws should be enforced. Silly bag bands cause economic harm, during a time when every job is needed. As far as not getting and answer at the Acme, they have a policy that local store management can!t answer these type of questions. They have to be fowarded to Malvern(Did you think this person wants to loose his job). As far as the contact at Malvern he probably did not have a clue that there is a bag ban. I am guessing he has contacted store opperations and now knows.
Just guessing but they are doing about what the former Super Fresh folks are doing. Thats what happens when you are dealing with a tiny chain and a large corporation. In the end, what choice do they have but to follow the law.
Heck, Be happy the chain is seeking ways to bring a larger store to Chestertown, plastic bags or no plastic bags
Progger says
Oh, the shame of it , Gerry! Why didn’t think about those plastic bag-maker jobs before banning bags! Come to think of it, we should have had the same conversation about cigarette makers, the guys who fed their families by making asbestos, and …well, the list would be a long one. Sorry, no sympathy there.
As for Acme’s Ryan Noyes, who wouldn’t returcalls, I think he’s probably the same Ryan Noyes from Acme who testified at the Mayor & Council’s meeting of March 21 and gave a long song and dance about how he wanted to work with Chestertown and then disappeared. He was their point oerso
Progger says
Oops, hit the wrong key – anyway, Noyes was the Acme spokesman on this issue and didn’t seem to need permission to comment back then.
It is good that you don’t litter, but unfortunately, there are plenty of others who do. And a lot of bags “escape” form even well-intentioned people simply because they’re so light and easily blown away. There was some pretty good testimony when this ban was debated that showed no negative economic impact in places where bans had already been enacted. If there’s something new to say, I’m all ears, but there’s no point in going over all of this old ground.
kate o'donnell says
“Bag It” is about MUCH MUCH more than banning plastic grocery bags. We saw the documentary on MPT on Sat. 9/24 and it was riveting. I was tired and thought I’d seen enough but couldn’t stop watching. For those who commented, I URGE you to see this film. Linda, who only saw 5 or fewer plastic bags, should get out of Chestertown and see the wind blown litter and walk the beaches, especially in winter to see them washed up ashore. The western Pacific plastic bag floating island is twice the size of Texas and as they degrade from UV light, this sludge is poisoning sea life, including birds who live on islands, ingest plastic and regurgitate it into their young. End result, death to parents and young birds. End result further down the line, death of certain species of birds. LINDA: you are very short sighted. This is a long term problem. Ireland has put a 22 cent fee on each plastic bag and the use of such bags plummeted by 90% immediately. The film goes on to describe the levels of plastics in us from linings in canned goods and seltzer bottles and so forth. The damage from these liner plastics and soda bottles is causing lowering of sperm counts, low sperm motility and feminization of baby boys, including smaller penis size. if you don’t think this is a problem, you had better see this film, if not in Chestertown today at 1 (9/25) then try to catch it on MPT which often reruns such valuable information. I gave up the dreaded free-range blue (or white or tan) plastic bags in favor of big LLBean canvas totes long ago. There’s a little each of us can/should do. So this isn’t a Chestertown problem or a Delaware problem. It’s a people/animal/global issue.
Stellal says
I saw this movie today and purchased a couple to loan to friends/family. As Kate so eloquently said, this movie is not just about bags. Watch the movie and then go to the grocery store or Walgreens–one will be amazed
at how cognizant one becomes about the prevalence of plastic: it is every where. The film takes special
aim at single-use plastic – water bottles, soda/sports drinks, plastic wrapping in the produce section,
on-and-on.
This should be shown at schools. In fact, a shorter version is available for young children.
country girl says
Banning bags in Chestertown is just a small part of the bag issue as far as littering. Most of the bags along side of the roads in Kent County probably do not come from Chestertown. All the other businesses in the County and small towns and out of state still will be using plactic bags and you will still see them on the roadsides, fields, streams, beaches, etc.
Just saying
Kate O'Donnell says
One more note, taken from the film: fast food chains switched away from styrofoam drink cups but the film points out that those cardboard beverage cups are plastic lined which puts more plastic in us while we thought we were become greener we were actually ingesting plastic. Secondly, plasticizing these cups slows their biodegrading. Switching from plastic milk and juice packaging means choosing cardboard that once upon a time was sealed with wax. Guess what it’s sealed with now? Right. Plastic. This film has made me rethink every consumer item I reach for on the store shelf. Isn’t it time for the glass bottle manufacturers to jump on the bandwagon and offer be earliest recycled alternative?
gerry maynes says
@Progger, You got to be joking! first oif all we don!t ban smokes from any town that I know of in the USA. Perhaps , parks puiblic buildings etc, but not towns and do you know why? Simple millions of americans earn thier living one way or another in nthat business. Ifr that business with all of its evils, where to go out of business tommorow many millions of more jobs with nothing to do with smoking, would be eliminated over nigth. Perhaps, even yours.( Its known as the Ripple effect) Folks loose their jobs in one business no longer have money to spend in yours or others.
I don!t know this fellow from Acme, I am sure that he only says what he is permited to say on any subject.( similar to President Obamas press spokesman) and will not give and answer with out consulting the powers to be.
Not that it matters but I am guessing Acme will follow what ever the law is. But I am guessing that the store volume at the Middletown Acme as well as the Super G and the Walmart will increase with folks from Chestertown due to the free Bags when they purchase groceries.
gerry maynes says
Hi, Sorry for the typing errors above new key board and I aren!t getting along to well as of yet
Keith Thompson says
Since I do spend some money at C-town’s convenience stores who are all still using plastic bags; I have a simple protocol question…should I take the bags offered to me so I can help them deplete their supplies, or should I not take the bags to ease them into the upcoming law? Typically (even before the ban was passed) I don’t use plastic bags from convenience stores since I tend to consume what I buy in the car. Would I be helping by taking the bags now?
gerry maynes says
Hi, what are they going to do with them when the new year comes. Do them afavor ask for a second bag before the poor guy gets fined.
gerry maynes says
@Stella, Its funny when I go to the drug store or the supermarket and I see plasticwrap on meat. I see people never having to get folod posioning from airborne germs. I see extended shelf life and reduced labor costs that keeps prices down, so that more people can afford to eat. When I see water bottles, soda bottles some wraped produce I see prosperity and jobs for all.
I remember the problems with glass bottles in nthe stores. Addded weigth on trucks caused road damage. Soda bottles would explode in the summer time.l The cost of production caused prices to go higher. Storage of emptiesoften invited vermin into ones store.
Stellal says
Gerry – I do understand your point.
We have all gotten used to a lot
Of things — some of which do more harm
than good. Please see Bag It. I
think it is riveting!
kate o'donnell says
Good to see that this flow of comments keeps going. I just spent two hours at the Chestertown Acme, mostly because I wanted to check out which products still come in glass containers. Not many at all. I was able to buy Grey Poupon mustard and bread and butter pickles in glass. Not one single salad dressing or shampoo came in glass. I’ve switched to buying my seltzer in 12 pack cases of aluminum cans instead of 1 litre plastic bottles. So then, I push my cart into the checkout line and flop my three big canvas bags on the conveyer belt at which point the checker tells me that “they” did a study of the number of germs on cloth bags vs. plastic bags. So I tell her I can/will be able to wash my bags and reuse them. So then she tells me that the food items in my bags will have germs on them and I’ll handle the items and touch my face and get sick. About this time, I’m a little tired of her concern for my well being. So I tell her “I might get hit by a car driving home from the store.” Meaning, life’s full of perils no matter what you do. Turns out I hadn’t brought enough big cloth bags with me and ended up taking 4 plastic bags home anyway. So far I’ve not come down with cloth bag plague and I did throw all five of my cloth bags in the washer with some bleach and dried them on high heat. Try that with your plastic bags, Gerry and Linda!
Terry Anderson says
Well said Kate O’Donnell ! And Simon Kelly, who would have thought that an article on banning plastic bags could have been so interesting, engaging, and even humorous.