The Virginian-Pilot
©
SMITHFIELD
Legislation to ban plastic bags statewide died this year, leaving the problem still littering the landscape.
Environmentalists, city recycling officials and retail and waste industry representatives gathered Friday to answer the question "Are Plastic Bags Sacking the Environment?" The summit was sponsored by HR Clean, a regional environmental group that's part of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
Marine science experts described the suffering of whales, dolphins and sea turtles that strand themselves on Virginia's shores with plastic debris in their digestive systems. Nathan O'Berry, an agent for the Virginia Cooperative Extension of Isle of Wight County, talked about the cost to cotton farmers from lightweight sacks that get stuck in cotton stalks and contaminate finished cotton.
On Wednesday, O'Berry said, he drove a four -mile stretch of Foursquare Road in Isle of Wight and found 63 plastic shopping bags that had blown into farm fields. He collected them and brought them in a box to the summit Friday.
"I'm not here to talk all bad about plastic bags," O'Berry, who specializes in crop and soil sciences, said as he emptied out wads of white plastic in front of the audience at The Smithfield Center. "I think they're very useful. I think they have a place in the world."
Isle of Wight County has become ground zero in the plastic-bag debate in Virginia since a county supervisor learned of farmers' concerns and sought a ban last year.
Retailers rallied to fight the move, and the General Assembly declined to pass legislation allowing the county to institute a ban.
That led a group of business representatives and local officials to form the Virginia Plastic Bag Coalition to find ways to better control plastic-bag use. In the past year, the coalition has developed a pilot program focusing on public education to encourage schoolchildren, as well as adults, to recycle.
The coalition's retail members persuaded legislators to withdraw bills this year that would have banned bags statewide.
The coalition now hopes to get state funding for Isle of Wight's program and similar efforts in Alexandria and Henry County, said Margaret Ballard, vice president of advocacy for Retail Alliance, the trade group for Hampton Roads merchants, and its legislative lobby arm.
"The problem is very challenging," Ballard said at the summit Friday, acknowledging retailers' role. "We are a source of the plastic-bag litter."
Carolyn Shapiro, (757) 446-2270, carolyn.shapiro@pilotonline.com
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Cost
Paper or Plastic ? Paper COSTS the Retailer MORE so they always will lean towards Plastic. The cashiers/bagboys are even trained to suggest plastic first.
Add a 'fee/tax' to the Retailer based on pounds of plastic bags used as opposed to paper/environment friendly. It increases/decreases accordingly. Yes, the Retailer will pass these costs on to the Consumer.
But.......it's OUR laziness and need for speed that has put 'us' IN this situation and therefore we deserve to bear some of the cost. Funny how EV1 will be or wants to be 'green'..........as long as it doesnt 'bother' them.
If it take's a nano-seconds worth of (perceived) extra effort?
Fuggidaboutit.
Walmart adventure
The clerks are not paid to think just put in time. Retraining may help at work and at home. I asked a clerk at the grocery store if they are trained how to pack grocery bags, he looked at me as though I had a third eye in my forehead! So back to one item in a bag, no excuse! When I can pack everything neatly in one that requires 4 bags by a clerk. They just aren't into it! YET!
Solve the problem
The problem is not Food Lion. The problem is the bags blow out the back of the garbage trucks. If you have ever been behind a garbage truck, you know what I mean.
The biodegradeable bags have
The biodegradeable bags have too many issues with moisture breaking them down before they are disposed of. I don't think that issue has been resolved yet.
Update
We went to Wal-Mart today to buy some stuff - went to the checkout line...
14 items.
if the checkout lady had had her way, we'd've gotten 15 bags.
She doublebagged the gallon of milk. The only item of the lot which HAS A HANDLE.
2 shirts, a 'hoodie', a pair of trousers, a pair of girl's shoes, dishwashing detergent, 2 boxes of cinnamon muffins, 2 pks of underwear, a bag of socks, cat food and orange juice. The lady would put an item into a bag and turn the carousel - my wife would take the item out of the bag and put it into the bag that was already 'filled'. I still felt bad that we walked out with 4 bags and the milk. We'd've cut one more out if we'd taken the shirts off the hangers...
Speaking of schools....
I was a teacher for 30 years and became very concerned when cafeterias began serving the school lunch on styrofoam trays as a way to cut personnel costs. I asked if there was a way to recycle the trays but they go directly into the garbage with the rest of the debris. "It's too time-consuming and costly to separate the rest of the trash from the trays" was the response I was given.
Recycling needs to be given a high priorty in all schools. I know it's included in the SOL's. Why not make it a practical, hands-on application as part of the curriculum?
How about enforcing the law?
Am I missing something here? Isn't littering illegal? I thought the fine in our cities is up to $2500.00... To me the problem is more about litter in Isle of Wight and the adverse impact of plastic bags and other plastics on the cash crop of cotton. The plastic bags and other films of similar origin can be recycled into plastic lumber and other useful products. So while they are not recyclable in the current curbside programs from SPSA and TFC they can be recycled. Schools in Williamsburg, and Virginia Beach are involved in such programs.
While the debate on plastic bags can go on for days, the author seems to ignore the fact that we have litter laws, they are not enforced and the result locally and world wide is the adverse impacts of the products that are not properly disposed of. In these economic times when local governments are concerned about finances, proper enforcement of existing laws would provide a greater benefit to the public than more new laws.
input
everyone has good ideas so there could be a solution without hampering the environment if more people were involved. Does anyone have a forum to link to with ideas already in use locally?
We reuse our plastic bags
We either use our plastic bags for cat litter (thereby not having to purchase litter trash bags) or donate them to thrift stores or the library bookstore. I would be fine using paper bags, though.
Education on the subject and intelectual honesty
Couple of things come to mind in the Isle of Wight problem:
One of the major corridors with the problem is along the route that SPSA trucks and other vehicles transit to and from the Transfer Station. I have witnessed SPSA and other commercial vehicles enroute to and from these facilities with unsecured covers depositing plastic bags and other trash (Read: litter) along their routes. While a ban on plastic bags seems like a "great thing to do for the enviornment" other forms of plastic will not be banned.
Most of the reusable bags I have seen in grocery stores and promoted by so called Eco Friendly stores are constructed from Polypropylene. Not recycled material nor can they be recycled in the current industry. And most are made in China.
To the best of my knowledge only a few manufactures make affordable bags from recycled material.
I recently watched a presentation made by a "Eco Friendly" Retailer who did not know the price of, source of or the material contained in his products.
I thought that Plastic bags used in grocery stores are made from LDPE a product derived from natural gas not oil.