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Oooph...that was ungly.  For tone, and for general representation by both sides.

Some points on which we might agree:

• Single use bags in general, are wasteful and detrimental for lots of reasons…to our physical health, to the well being and beauty of our environment, to our current and future access to resources...etc.  To debate which is worse, is something of a distraction from the real problems associated with single use bags.
• Reusable bags generally serve the intent of a great majority of plastic and paper single use bags
• Plastic bags (and many other forms of plastic) are highly recyclable, and there are very significant environmental benefits to be realized by incorporating recycled content plastics into new products.
• Plastic film in general (bags, wraps, other packaging) causes serious problems for the sorting equipment used in curbside recycling programs in the NW and elsewhere, and there doesn’t currently exist affordable or readily available technological solutions to this problem.
• If the American Chemistry Council or anyone else is serious about plastics recycling, then the pursuit of domestic manufacturing of recycled plastic products must be part of the plan.  Local manufacturing often leads to higher demand and value placed on recycling commodities, which puts money into collection systems and the public awareness campaigns that create healthy recycling programs.
• A state program is good, a national program would be better… http://www.aorr.org/blog_plastics.html
• I personally like the idea of a fee on all single use bags, handled within stores (not sent to the state), that is used to subsidize the cost of a reusable bag.  Put $.50 on a single use bag, and charge $.50 for a reusable one.  Bring your bag, avoid the fee, retain choice.  I made myself buy a reusable $.99 bag every time I forgot one.  I started using reusable bags consistently once I accumulated eight or nine of them, and couldn’t stand to buy another.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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