Characterized as a “$%&*-storm we've started”, by Surfrider Oregon Field Coordinator Charlie Plybon, is a little something that began as the local Portland Surfrider Chapter’s “Ban the Bag” campaign, which now has taken Oregon into hyper-drive on professing its disdain for the plastic plague statewide!
Here’s a rough time line: Portland Surfrider gathers 5,000 (not an over-night task, mind you, even in progressive Portland) toward their single-use plastic bag ban targeted at Portland-proper. The buzz grows and…lo & behold, State Senator Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, wants every store in Oregon to do the same: Ban The Bag. Wa-BAM!
Toward that goal, Hass is leading the charge on a bill, Senate Bill 1009, that is up for a hearing Tuesday in Salem that would outlaw single-use plastic bags at the retail level. The “hyper-drive” part of this is that this is a THREE WEEK BILL – T-H-R-E-E WEEKS! That is just nuts – how can any self-respecting plastics lobbyist dole out enough multi-martini lunches and freebie boondoggle junkets to the Greek Isles, etc, etc, etc in that miniscule span of time?? (For perspective, a California plastics bill now being considered is being given a two year [TWO YEARS?] lifespan – ugh!)
I love this Sen. Hass quote about SU plastic bags: “They contribute to litter, are minimally recycled, regularly gum up recycling sorting machines, harm marine life and are made from fossil fuels. I don't think people understand the true cost of these bags," …‘nuff said, homie.
Ahhh – the concept of “True Cost”, tru dat!! Nice job of bringing it all back home Mark! Therein lies the inherent, inbred, insipid “nature” of plastics – especially the single-use demons. AND a politician with his spinal cord attached to his brain stem - heretoforeunheardof – it’s all coming together in O-R-E-G-O-N!
Article Link Zone:
Both articles mention Surfrider's 5,000 signatures toward the ban:
OregonLive article ... Statesman Journal article
The Stateman article quotes Gus Gates Surfrider's Oregon Policy Coordinator.
You can participate in an online poll about the ban here.
So, DIG IT…and stay tuuuuuned.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Oregon GOES OFF!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
City of Encinitas Votes to Ban Plastic Bags
While over the last year we have been posting stories about cities around the world taking action against plastic, our Rise Above Plastics group in San Diego County has been working diligently on convincing the City of Encinitas here to take action as well. Surfrider Foundation volunteers collected close to 2,000 signatures from residents in support of a ban, and last night the City Council voted to adopt a phased in ban, aimed at getting people to use reusable bags, not single-use bags of any kind. The ordinance (yet to be drafted) would prohibit plastic bags and place a fee on paper bags. Stores could opt to sell plastic bags, but could not give them out for free.
From day one, our group faced an uphill battle in Encinitas, since only 2 out of the 5 council members are legitimately "green" and we did not know if we would get that crucial third vote. What was so heartening to me was the statement by one of the council members that he changed his mind to be in favor of the ban after hearing public testimony, read about it here. Surfrider had put the call out for people to come out to support the ban, and the 15 people that spoke in favor of the ban did so eloquently and convincingly, covering all angles. This was truly a grass roots effort.
Since I spearheaded this effort, people have been giving me congratulations, but I don't feel this is a personal victory. Rather, it is a victory for our RAP campaign, our community, the environment, and all of the volunteers who poured time and commitment into demonstrating public support. To them, I say Bravo! for a job well done.
Elizabeth
Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Chapter
Monday, June 9, 2008
RAP Rocks Encinitas
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
How's Your Aspen?
But starting this weekend, a plastic bag contest aims to up those numbers. Sponsored by the Community Office of Resource Efficiency (CORE) in Aspen and Sheep Mountain Alliance (SMA) in Telluride, the contest pits the two towns against each other. But it pits everyone against the plastic bag.Nothing like a healthy competition to get community inspired and informed!
In both towns, grocers have promised to donate 5 cents to a green fund for each purchase or use of a reusable bag. The fund will finance a yet-to-be-determined environmental project within each community. The community that raises the most money, per capita, between Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July wins.
The loser must purchase two solar monitor sets for the winning municipality’s public school system.
“Seriously, I think we can make a good start on bag blight with this project,” said Aspen Mayor Mick Ireland.
Telluride Mayor Stu Fraser thought locals would buy into the friendly competition between the two towns — “both touted as green mountain communities.”
Saturday, May 24, 2008
We're being watched... (good)
I was cruising around the blogosphere and found "PlasticsNews.com." It's "A weblog about the global plastics industry news, businesses trends and markets".
The post that caught my eye was "Some blogs to watch" where they list this blog.
We want the "global plastics industry news, business trends and markets" to know that we are collectively NOT satisfied with the state of affairs. In fact we demand alternative practices, products and use. We are not anti-plastic per se we are anti-single use plastic. We do not accept that a person should go to the store and buy something... like a bottle of water in single-use plastic (that will be used for 15 minutes but last forever) and then have the cashier put the bottle into a... plastic bag (that will get used for 4 minutes but last forever).
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Pilgrim's Progress: Sustainable Plymouth Pushes Bag Ban
Plymouth Rock
Sustainable Plymouth, an environmental organization in Plymouth, MA, the historic town that was the landing spot for Pilgrims escaping religious persecution in England, is working on a plastic shopping bag ban. The Boston Globe reports on the proposed ban in "America's Hometown." Plymouth banning plastic bags would set a great example for this author's home area of New England and could provide innumerable gains in public education through outreach to the thousands of families and children who visit Plymouth yearly to tour it's historic sites.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Recycling Can Fix This, Right? Wrong.
(from Reusablebags.com)
Recycling Can Fix This, Right? Wrong.
Recycling has its place -- in fact, we offer bags made of recycled PET because we support sustainable paths for the world's overabundance of plastic.
However, it's not the complete solution.
Recycling rates for plastic bags are extremely low. Only 1 to 3% of plastic bags end up getting recycled.
In addition, economics of recycling plastic bags are not appealing. From the process of sorting, to the contamination of inks and the overall low quality of the plastic used in plastics bags, recyclers would much rather focus on recycling the vast quantities of more viable materials such as soda and milk bottles that can be recycled far more efficiently. If the economics don't work, recycling efforts don't work. more
Image: www.inhabitat.com
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Plastic bag bans around the world
(BBC) Plastic bag bans around the world
Plastic bags are blamed for growing environmental damage around the world. As the campaign to ban them gathers momentum, here is a snapshot of how countries around the world are tackling the issue. more
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