Banning plastic bags in San Diego, what are your thoughts?

[DinsdalePirahna]

You get used to it, then realize how convenient it really is.

As someone who spends a lot of time on the water, I have noticed a lot less crap floating in harbors and marinas since they implemented bag laws in Huntington Beach and Long Beach.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

When I was in Northern Europe a while back, I noticed they (supposedly environmentally concerned gov'ts) make high-quality plastic bags available for purchase in supermarkets, costing approx. 60 cents per bag. The high cost is supposed to discourage the purchase of bags. Well, people still buy them, and they still make their way into the environment as trash, except it takes longer to disintegrate. If you keep them at home and reuse them, they will disintegrate around whatever it is you store in them, and make a mess. Some people bring their own cloth shopping bags, and some of those I saw looked like old gym bags (or worse), full of stains. Oh, and you can't recycle the plastic bags. No such service at the store.

Here in SD there is a recycling bin at every grocery store, and in our household we get bags together for recycling on a regular basis. Whatever we don't recycle, we use as trash bags, doggie bags, quick wraps around particularly wet and smelly trash, and (best of all) shoe bags for traveling. Nothing beats a nice thin grocery bag for wrapping each individual shoe so it doesn't come in contact with the clothes you're packing. Besides, you can see which shoes are in which bags, because they're near-transparent. Etc. In other words, I prefer to make mature, environmentally wise decisions myself. I oppose the ban.

[aboveordinary]

I think that the fact this is even a discussion in San Diego is really telling of the current political shift in San Diego. San Diego has until recently been seen as a conservative mecca, but it seems it has become more moderate with the county going blue the last two presidential elections among other things.

[esunsalmista]

Originally Posted by Think4Yourself

There is a problem in that most plastic bags can't be recycled but I'm against any outright ban and instead I like the solution other cities use which is to create a nominal cost to them so that people minimize their use. A tax of like $0.05 per bag will mean people will use a hell of a lot fewer plastic bags and makes much more sense then an out right ban. An exception should be made for any bags which are recyclable.

I agree with this. A big problem with plastic bags in San Diego is that they will offer them to you as if they were on a commission to give them out. I've bought little 8-ounce red bulls and the cashiers put them in a bag for me. Several times a week I find myself having to say "I don't need a bag".