Council Postpones Decision on Single-Use Bag Ban
By Edwin Folven, 12/22/2011
Committee Asks For Reports on Best Plan to Implement
Paper or plastic, or paper and plastic? Those are two of the questions being considered by the Los Angeles City Council before a vote can be held on a ban of single-use shopping bags.
The council’s Energy and Environment Committee postponed making a decision on Dec. 16 on a motion by Councilmember Paul Koretz, 5th District, seeking a ban on both plastic and paper single-use shopping bags. Had the committee approved the motion, it would have gone to the full city council for consideration, but the proposal was tabled for at least 30 days while the city’s Chief Legislative Analyst and City Administrative Officer compile reports on the best ways to move forward. The reports requested by the committee will analyze which plan could effectively be implemented in a short period of time; how much it would cost the city, retailers and consumers; and which plan would be most defendable against litigation. Councilmember Jan Perry, 9th District, chair of the Energy and Environment Committee, asked for clarification.
“The councilwoman wanted to know, what are the options. Should we ban plastic and paper, or just plastic, or just paper. There wasn’t one clear option,” said Eva Kandarpa, a spokesperson for Perry. “We will get a report back from both groups on what the best policy would be, and also from the Department of Sanitation on an outreach plan to let folks know about the ban.”
Koretz said he understands that the Energy and Environment Committee wants to make sure the city has all of the necessary information. Koretz added that he wants to make sure the full council can consider a ban before March when new statewide legislation on the ban of single-use shopping bags will likely be considered.
“I am quite confident that the city council will approve a serious single-use bag ban in the early months of 2012, and that major step forward will be a wonderful breakthrough for Los Angeles and anyone who cares about the environment. I certainly think it’s a shame that the city of Los Angeles doesn’t already have a significant ban on single use bags in place,” Koretz said. “That said, I do understand that some council members want as much information as possible to ensure that the new ordinance gets shaped as effectively as possible, and so even though we’ve been discussing this matter for a long time, I have no problem with some final research and reports, as long as we conclude this, at the latest, by the end of March.”
It is estimated that 2.3 billion single-use plastic bags, and 400 million single-use paper bags, are used annually in the city of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors banned single-use plastic shopping bags last year in unincorporated areas of the county, and some additional cities have followed suit, including Santa Monica.
Kandarpa said the size of the city of Los Angeles makes it difficult to enact a ban similar to the one approved by the county.
“The county went though an EIR (environmental impact report) and larger cities like L.A. may need to do that,” she added. “Whatever step we take, we want to make sure it is the most realistic for the city. We are not trying to hold up the process. We are trying to move forward in a way that is sustainable.”
The Energy and Environment Committee requested that the reports be compiled by Jan. 16, at which time it will be decided whether a further environmental impact study is necessary, or whether the issue will be moved to the full council for consideration.
Tags | paper bag ban, Paul Koretz, Plastic bag ban
I am a big supporter of cleaning up our environment, but in all seriousness, the Community’s Health and potential for a severe to catastrophic spreading of illness from known and unknown contagions will become an almost certain reality at some point if people are forced to reuse unsanitary bags.
To be bringing into our food stores dirty bags and carrying out the same bag with the addition of other persons contaminated bags with food, health care and medicine is too dangerous a situation for a dense metropolis of millions of people.
The focus on the Plastic Bags always ignores all the plastic & worse waste that people are purchasing and using the bags to carry home, maybe use briefly, then throw out.
The bag, it’s weight and amount of plastic being used and thrown out is insignificant to the amount that was carried in the bags as products, wrapped in it own wrappings, and with a huge amount of more damaging waste.
It’s easy to sit out and try to enjoy Santa Monica and blame the visible pollution on the Plastic Bags used by the millions of people not fortunate to be living by the beach.
But the unseen environmental damage being done by what is not seen and carried out in the waste/drain water is what should be dealt with rather than the visible, but not toxic as chemical waste running directly into our waters.