The Environmentally Friendly Bag Free Campaign in San Francisco

In 2004 we threw our support behind San Francisco’s initiative to reduce plastic bags. Ultimately, the 2005 Bag Fee Resolution did not pass. What follows is a summary of the what, why and how behind one city’s attempt at addressing the plastic bag issue. We hope that by sharing the facts, a sample petition and the letter written by our company founder that was read during the initial committee hearing we will inspire other cities to create their own ordinances to reduce waste.

SF Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance Summary

Why?

  • Plastic bags consume scarce resources and create pollution littering streets, beaches, trees and waterways.
  • Plastic bags are perceived as disposable and are an impediment to San Francisco's 75% landfill diversion by 2010 and zero waste by 2020.
  • Plastic bags are difficult & costly to recycle. It costs more to process and recycle plastic bags than other items like aluminum. More on why recycling doesn't work here.
  • San Francisco uses an estimated 180 million plastic grocery bags a year with less than 1% being recycled.
  • Governments around the world have successfully implemented similar initiatives to curb plastic bag use. Including Ireland's hugely successful PlasTax.
  • Plastic bags account for 90% of the city's grocery sacks estimated 50 million plastic grocery bags used in San Francisco (According to other estimates the number is MUCH higher).
  • Previous measures taken by the city to curb plastic bag consumption (e.g. retailers managed their own recycling efforts) have largely failed.
  • San Francisco spends $8.5 million each year for plastic bag cleanup and related costs (17 cents per bag).
  • By switching to the compostable bags the city will be conserving 430,000 gallons of oil used to make traditional bags, the equivalent of keeping 140,000 cars off the street for a day. (Jared Blumenfeld, director of San Francisco's Department of the Environment as reported by Christian Science Monitor)
  • According to the Ordinance, plastic shopping bags in the U.S. account for the felling of over 14 million trees, the use of over 12 million barrels of oil, as well as the death of over 100,000 marine animals from plastic entanglement.

How?

  • Ordinance is designed to reduce the detrimental environmental impact of non-compostable plastic bags and non-recyclable paper bags by (1) prohibiting the distribution of such bags as checkout bags, and (2) imposing a range of graduated penalties for stores that violate the Ordinance.
  • Ordinance requires compostable plastic, recyclable paper and/or reusable bags be offered at point of sale in San Francisco stores.
  • Retailers responsible are grocery stores (gross sales of $2 million or more) and pharmacies with 5 or more city locations (but excluding those within hospitals).
  • Violators are fined $100-$500 for infractions.
  • Ordinance goes into effect in 6 months for grocery stores and 1 year for pharmacies.
  • $.17 (or other amount to be determined) charged to consumer on paper as well as plastic bags used at checkout.
  • Both paper and plastic bags checkout bags would be charged a fee since paper bags are no better.
  • Ordinance will include measures to assure low or fixed income and residences with large families are not adversely impacted.
  • Half of fee would go to Department of the Environment to support efforts of program such as discounted reusable checkout bags, compostable produce bags, in store recycling programs, education and out reach programs on waste prevention.
  • Resolution calls for independent studies to be conducted to determine economic impact on residents and further study the legality and appropriateness of a fee.
  • The fee would apply only to grocery stores that report more than $2 million in annual sales. In future fee may apply to smaller markets and other stores (e.g. drug stores).
  • If ordinance is adopted, it would not be implemented for 6 months in order to account for the time it would take to educate the public.

Sample Petition and Letters to Support Your Local Bag Fee

  • Take a look at this petition from San Francisco's initiative to reduce plastic bags; you can easily retrofit it and use it to advance a cause in your town.
  • This letter from our company founder Vincent Cobb was read during the initial committee hearing accepting public comment on the proposed San Francisco Bag Free.

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