I’m back!
Not that I necessarily went anywhere, just spending time with the family and tried to stay off the computer as much as possible. Did a bunch of reading which is always nice. Anyway, a lot has happened since the holidays, but I thought I would kick off the new year (HAPPY NEW YEAR by the way to everyone!) with a post about the new Alameda County bag law.
So for those of you that have not been shopping since January 1st, Alameda County’s bag law went into effect in the new year. Essentially in order to curb the usage of plastic bags there is now a county-wide ban on single use plastic bags. Period. Although I did score one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond but I can’t remember if it was before or after New Years Day. A lot of stores were clamping down on the plastic bags pre January 1st. Anyway, in lieu of plastic bags you are urged to bring your own to the store or you can purchase a paper bag for no less than 10 cents from the store.
While I totally understand the logic behind the plastic bag ban and the charging for single use bags, yes I’ve seen all those plastic bags floating loose around etc and so forth, but I think most people — not all — reuse those plastic bags for other things such as lining wastepaper baskets or — in my case — scooping kitty litter. So it’s a bit of a bummer to have to buy bags to scoop kitty litter into now, because it’s not like I’m not going to use plastic to scoop kitty litter into, I’m just going to have to pay more for it.
Anyway, while I knew this was coming down the pipeline since the law passed a while ago, I guess mentally I hadn’t really prepared for it. In that my car was decidedly re-useable bag free when I decided to pop into South Shore to pick up some stuff. It was only when I was half way to South Shore that I realized, “BAGS!” And that if there wasn’t a lonely floating bags somewhere in my car I would either need to purchase a bag at some point which I was loathe to do or transform my coat into a carrying device. Luckily I had one, one in the car which I managed to shove all my purchases in to.
If there is any resolution you all should have in the new year and this will be an easy one to accomplish, stash a bunch of bags into your car or coat pocket or wherever.
both cars in my family have reusable bags already ( Trader Joes). I wonder if I can still get them to put my groceries in a box which is really handy.
Comment by John P.(L) — January 7, 2013 @ 7:43 am
Where does the tax on paper bags come into the equation? All the ones I get are made from recycled material. Is it because the demand will go so high (if they are free) that they won’t have enough recycled ones to meet the need? I will still pay for the paper ones sometimes because I use them for lots of different things (remember making book covers out of them?). In spite of the inconvenience, I think this is a great law. Anybody who gripes about it should be directed to Google the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” and look at the pictures. If that doesn’t convince them, nothing will.
Comment by Denise Shelton — January 7, 2013 @ 8:44 am
Unfortunately, grocery stores also got rid of those metal arms that hold open bags that don’t stand up by themselves while you fill them [Safeway]-another hardship for the disabled. I got a great water-shedding reusable bag from Target, which folds up into its own attached wallet-size bag, which is handy to carry in your purse, so you never forget to bring it in from the car. They are as cheap as 99c, and Target Pays You 5c each time you use a reusable bag! Can’t wait for Target to be built in Alameda.
Comment by vigi — January 7, 2013 @ 9:28 am
we have been paying 10 cents for a paper bag for each purchase b/c we keep forgetting to bring in our reusable bags from the trunk of the car. Then we’re too lazy to go back out to the car to get them. In our defence, we do use those paper bags, we hold our recycables in them and then take the whole thing out to be recycled. Plastic bags, we also used them to line our garbage bins in the house. I don’t mind the ban, whatever helps to reduce our footprint… as long as this is proven to help the environment I’m all for it.
Comment by hobnob — January 7, 2013 @ 10:49 am
“Essentially in order to curb the usage of plastic bags there is now a county-wide ban on single use plastic bags. Period.”
Lauren, that’s not quite accurate. This from PSBA to it’s members:
1) The “Re-Usable Bag” ordinance has gone into effect throughout the county. This means plastic bags will not be given out at food markets, drug stores, convenience stores, and liquor stores.
And, unless you bring your own re-usable bag, there will be a surcharge of 10-cents for each paper bag that the store uses to bag your purchases.
(People have been confused by this new law. Retail stores and restaurants are exempt from the ordinance. You can get more info at http://reusablebagsac.org/faqs.html).
So, it’s not a county-wide ban. Period. Although, we have shopped at two places since Jan 1 that are not food- related, and they have joined the ban. I guess they see an opportunity to 1) help save the environment or 2) piggyback on the ban to save some money for themselves in not having to provide bags.
We (my wife, it’s her cat) also use them for kitty litter removal. And I see a lot of people walking their dogs using them to clean up doggy waste. I wonder if we will have a proliferation of doggy dooly on our sidewalks now because of the ban? I hope not.
Comment by Not. A. Alamedan — January 7, 2013 @ 2:36 pm
Weird, I went to Beverly’s post plastic bag ban and they were charging the 10 cents for a paper bag and not offering plastic. So I just bought a Christmas bag for 25 cents which I’ll reuse next Christmas.
Same with Old Navy, no plastic to be had there either.
Comment by Lauren Do — January 7, 2013 @ 3:09 pm
It’s possible that the store owner/manager just doesn’t know what the law says. PSBA has been very good about keeping it’s members up to date on the no smoking ordinance, the plastic bags, the sales tax increase and like that. But for any other owner, the county certainly hasn’t sent out a letter telling us how and when you can still use plastic; it’s up to the business owner/manager to just know this stuff, I guess. So, the manager at Beverly’s might have heard that there is a ban on plastic, and just over reacted. Although it does help the environment a little, I guess, and will add to his bottom line. I say “I guess” on the environment because I’m not clear where all these paper bags are going to come from, and how many trees we’ll have to cut down to make them. Hopefully, they are being made of 100% recycled materials, but that gets expense, I understand.
Comment by Not. A. Alamedan — January 7, 2013 @ 3:28 pm
Vigi, maybe you should try asking Safeway to restore the bag racks. Berkeley Bowl has had racks which are general use and not there as mere armature for a load of plastic bags. It’s not even about disabled, it’s about common sense of a system which allows one to load bags with both hands free, instead of using one hand to control the floppy bag. The Bowl has them on a lowered platform hanging off the end of the table with automated conveyer so that the top of the bag is also level with the conveyor. Doesn’t Safeway have similar set up for bagging, sans bag rack? We also buy biodegradable shear “plastic like” bags to line our 13 gallon kitchen garbage and smaller ones for the counter top green waste bucket from ACI. They are green color and flimsy, maybe not strong enough to lug a six pack of soda without the bottom blowing out, but still pretty strong. I’ve seen these in use at Berkeley Bowl also, as bags for people with 12 items or less who have no bag. I believe Berkeley had already adopted a similar ordinance ahead of the county, thus places like the Bowl had already adapted.
Comment by M.I. — January 7, 2013 @ 4:54 pm
You can certainly use a paper bag for kitty litter instead of a plastic one–and the paper will biodegrade even if the kitty litter does not. And, if you wash and reuse plastic bags (not after filling them with things like kitty litter, of course) you should have a long-lasting stash by now like I have.
Comment by Jon Spangler — January 8, 2013 @ 8:57 am
Thank you, M.I. My Target bag is floppy & would be held open by those racks. It resembles the flimsy plastic bags, except it holds 30 lbs without tearing & dries rapidly after carrying yogurt, milk, & ice cream [I think its made of nylon]
Comment by vigi — January 8, 2013 @ 11:29 am
Excellent blog many thanks for spending the time to write and upload. Plastic bags are so bad for the environment.
Comment by Garden Bags — January 9, 2013 @ 3:45 pm