The Seattle City Council unanimously passed a hotly-debated ordinance yesterday that bans the single use of plastic bags in grocery, retail, convenience and home-improvement stores. The bill also mandates that most customers pay five cents to buy a paper bag, a provision largely designed to urge consumers to purchase environmentally-friendly reusable totes. “The hope is by passing this legislation we can help shift behavior and get more people to use reusable bags instead of disposable bags,” said Councilmember Mike O’Brien.

This is not the first time Seattle leaders have moved to legislate the use of plastic bags. In 2008, city officials implemented a 20-cent plastic bag fee, but the law was repealed a year later following an aggressive lobbying effort. The campaign to repeal the fee was led by the plastics industry, which spent approximately $1.4 million to win a reversal. It is unclear if leading manufacturers of plastics intend to fight the new ban.

“By voting to implement a ban on plastic bags, Seattle misses the opportunity to lead the way toward the meaningful reduction of litter through increased statewide recycling efforts,” said Mark Daniels, vice president for Hilex Poly, the biggest producer of plastic bags in the U.S. “This is bad policy for the environment and the consumer.”

It’s estimated that Seattle residents use 292 million plastic bags and 68 million paper bags every year. Only about 13% of plastic bags are recycled in the city, though, according to studies. As currently written, the new ordinance does not apply to produce or restaurant take-out bags and exempts low-income residents from having to pay a paper bag fee. The bill will now be sent to Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn for approval and is scheduled to go into effect in July of 2012. The paper bag fee will continue until at least December of 2016 and could then be extended by legislators.

While Seattle’s ban is on the verge of becoming law, leaders in several other communities across the country – including Austin, TX, and Eugene, OR – are also considering regulating the use of plastic bags.

1) Non-woven — is a fabric-like material made from long fibers, bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment. Often, non-woven materials include a certain percentage of recycled fabrics. And some non-wovens can then also be recycled after use. Non-woven fabrics are engineered specifically for specific functions including, absorbancy, liquid repellence, resiliance, stretch, cushioning, etc.

2) Polyester — a synthetic, durable fabric (often also blended in with other fibers). While synthetic cloth is in general perceived as having a less natural feel compared to fabrics woven from natural fibers (such as cotton and wool), there are advantages. Improved wrinkle resistance, durability and color retention are benefits of synthetic fabrics. Polyester fibers can also create materials with superior water, wind and environmental resistance compared to plant-derived fibers.

3) Nylon — silky-smooth, highly resiliant material, originally intended to be a synthetic replacement for silk. It often lines a high-end bag, but can have many other applications such as roping and seatbelts.

4) Microfiber — synthetic fibers measuring less than one denier that can be woven together into fabric. Microfiber is used to make non-woven, woven and knitted textiles. The shape, sizes and combinations of fibers are selected for specific characteristics including: softness, durability, absorption, wicking, water repellance, etc.

5) Neoprene — synthetic rubbers that have a good chemical stability, maintaining flexibility over a wide temperature range. Foamed neoprene is used in insulation material such as wetsuits, beverage coolers and computer accessories.

6) Recycled PET — PET stands for post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate. It is made of post-consumer recycled plastics and essentially a form of polyester fabric. The recycled material is spun into thread or yarn and can be used alone or blended with other fibers to make a wide variety of fabrics. Most often, this fabric is used to create strong, durable products such as jackets, shoes, bags, hats and accessories.

7) Canvas — Modern canvas is usually made of cotton or linen, although historically it was made from hemp. Canvas comes in two basic types: plain and duck. Treated with a waterproofing substance, canvas is used for a variety of indoor and outdoor applications. Very commonly used in making backpacks, tote bags, shoes, auto covers, tents, sails, etc. It is sturdy and has the ability to stretch.

Cotton Duck Cloth — organic, heavy, plain woven cotton fabric. It is versatile and can be machine washed and dried and is easy to dye, waterproof and sew. Unlike synthetic cancases, cotton duck cloth breathes, allowing air and moisture to pass through easily. Cotton duck is available in a number od different weights. The lighter weights make good shoes, shower curtains, laundry bags and tote bags. Heavier weights are used to make hammocks, boat covers, tents, etc.

9) Jute — Long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is one of the most affordable natural fibers and is second only to cotton in amount produced and variety of uses. Jute has gained an advantage as being an eco-friendly option instead of poly and paper bags. Formerly primarily used in home textiles (such as floor covering) and to make ropes and sacks, it is also used for making fashion & promotional bags.

As of September 1, shoppers in Santa Monica, CA, stores will no longer be able to carry their goods away in plastic bags. In fact, they’ll even be charged 10 cents for every paper bag they request to use. Indeed, the full rush to recyclable bags in California is on. As of today, all 1,875 retail establishments in Santa Monica – including grocery stores – are banned from providing light-weight, single-use plastic carryout bags to customers at the point of sale.

“I look forward to the day when plastic bags stop swirling around our feet in the waves and no longer mar our beaches or kill marine life,” said Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, who has tried to get the bags banned statewide with her bill AB 1998, which so far has been shot down. “The American Chemistry Council thought it could kill this movement last year, but since then, six cities and counties have passed their own bans and a seventh won a legal ruling to proceed with its bag ordinance.”

Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County, and the cities of Long Beach, San Jose and Calabasas joined Santa Monica last year in outlawing the use of the bags. The ban only applies to plastic bags that are less than 2.25 millimeters thick, like the ones often supplied by groceries and pharmacies. Markets will be allowed to offer paper bags made from recycled content for a minimum fee of 10 cents per bag – money which will be kept by the stores to offset expenses. While the main purpose of the fee is to create a disincentive for using the disposable bags, the new ordinance is intended to encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags to stores.

Not included in the ban are light-weight “product bags,” such as those found in a grocer’s produce section, and heavier plastic bags commonly used by retail shops. Also exempt from the ban are light-weight plastic bags for the carry-out food business, because hot liquid seeping through paper bags could cause injuries.

THe East Hampton village board voted on Friday, Aug. 4th to ban the use of plastic checkout bags in the village. There was considerable comments from people on both sides of the debate.
Not only are the bags made from tons of fossil fuels, but they clog the landfills, pollute open spaces and beaches, harm wildlife and cause storm drain clogs. The ban will take effect six months after the notice of the law’s adoption is published. Estimated early next year.

California plans to ban one time use plastic shopping bags
Posted on July 28, 2010 by admin

California may soon be the first state in the country to impose a strict ban on plastic bags.

The “green” law is intended to encourage shoppers at grocery, convenience and other stores to bring along their own reusable totes, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. If they don’t have a recycle tote, they could either buy a reusable bag or choose paper bags, available for a minimum 5-cent fee. Stores couldn’t hand out paper bags for free.

Californians use 19 billion plastic bags every year. While the bags are convenient, environmentalists argue they’re tough to recycle and encourage oil drilling because bags are made from petroleum. Critics of the bill say that it amounts to a new tax on Californians.

San Francisco is planning to expand the ban to include all retailers,including hardware stores, bookshops, clothing boutiques and department stores.

If your company is looking to switch to reusable shopping bags, how about getting them custom imprinted with your logo. Visit http://www.therecyclebag.com for inexpensive options for custom recycle bags.