Bag that: San Jose bans most paper and plastic bags
Filed under: Green
Know the way to San Jose? You're not going to be able to follow a paper or plastic trail for much longer. The city at the heart of Silicon Valley has become the latest in a string of large cities to ban retailers from giving out paper or plastic bags. Bags made of at least 40% recycled material could be used, but only for a small fee.
Nearby San Francisco banned plastic -- but not paper -- bags in 2007.
The city council passed the ordinance Tuesday night, and it won't take effect until 2011, pending legislative and environmental review. But the ban's passing no doubt will embolden other, "green-forward" cities to do the same.
Plastic bags, which have been criticized for taking up valuable space in landfills and killing marine life, are a nearly ubiquitous feature of American retailing. Slowly, that may be starting to change. In many European countries it's standard to bring your own bags to put your purchases in.
Besides the obvious benefits for the environment, perhaps if we had to find a bag for everything we bought, we wouldn't buy quite so much.
Is this a trend you'd like to see more of? Tell us in the poll below.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-26-2009 @ 8:16PM
yokoach said...
"it's inconvenient" wahhhhhhh.....mommy I don't want to bring my own bag to shop with....wahhhhh!
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9-26-2009 @ 10:58PM
JOHN said...
YOUR AN IDIOT, ALONG WITH THE BAN ON PLASTIC BAGS WHEN OVER 90% OF THE PACKAGING OF PRODUCTS IS DONE WITH PLASTIC......BAGS DONT EVEN MAKE UP 1% OF IT. IDIOTS LIKE YOU BUY INTO THIS GREEN BS THAT IS GOING ON AND WILL HAVE NO OVERALL EFFECT
9-26-2009 @ 8:31PM
Justme said...
When I first read the lead in caption I figured it would be some yuppy town like Sausilito or somewhere in Marin County but San Jose? That is one of the most unclassiest cities in California. I think they have the highest quota of illegals (along with Fresno) than anywhere else. What are they going to carry their groceries home in?
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9-26-2009 @ 10:19PM
stacey burke said...
are you from San Jose?? Dont speak about something you know nothing about. San Jose is one of the best cities in America.
9-26-2009 @ 8:55PM
katarch said...
For those of you unfamiliar with SJ, like Justme obvious is, go to http://www.sanjoseca.gov/ and educate yourself. There are over 1,000,000 residents in San Jose and the city has been distributing free reusable bags for months to replace paper and plastic. The transition for everyone, from the Silicon Valley venture capitalists to those with more modest incomes, and even store owners, has been easy.
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9-26-2009 @ 9:07PM
Marv said...
It's time to stop liberal nutcases from dictating how we live our lives. I will simply shop in a city that will bag my stuff and leave a HUGE carbon footprint while doing so. I can afford to drive as far as I wish to do my shopping, and will. I will even through in a few extra revs along the way. Climate change is as fake as the POS in the Whitehouse.
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9-26-2009 @ 9:20PM
Mike said...
FU%K the State of California!! Liberal, faggot infested USSR wanna be SHi% HOLE!!!
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9-26-2009 @ 9:47PM
Mark Russell said...
I can see the ban on plastic bags takng hold - when I drive to work here in Las Vegas there are open lots where you see dozens of these bags caught on fences and in trees. We got along for years without them and I would not miss them at all. That being said, I'm surprised that paper bags would also be on the chopping block. Our local Smith's offers paper bags here that have handles and are very sturdy. They also double in our home as garbage bags. We also have canvas bags that we bring to the market, but if you are buying a Friday order it's pretty unrealistic to have 20 canvas bags with you. I have a neighbor who brings a couple of boxes with him and a few canvas bags. It will be interesting to see how all this plays out since what California does Nevada starts to take a look.
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9-26-2009 @ 10:23PM
Oscar said...
You know where you'll see the greatest concentration of plastic bag and miscellaneous litter? Right outside the parking lot of any Walmart. If they're going to stop using plastic bags, I guess I'll just have to take the cart home, because I only go to the grocery store every other week. Wait until this ban starts hitting retail operations aside from grocery stores. People are already buying less, and will buy even less if there are more more impediments to consumerism which will deepen the recession which will cause people to buy even less. How will the executives earn their bonuses if there's NO economic activity? I guess we'd better start drafting some new bailout legislation. We mustn't use plastic bags, but those corporate jets must keep flying. (Sorry, that one got away from me.)
9-26-2009 @ 9:53PM
Robyn said...
I use store plastic bags to throw out my garbage-our provate collection company 9I live in a condo development) requiresthat we use plasticbags which they pick up 5 days a week from our front doors TERRIBLE system--but in any case, to throw out garbage, people are still g oing to now have to BUY plastic bags to throw out garbage--lots of people use the store ones for recycling for free.
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9-26-2009 @ 10:12PM
Rhonda said...
Hey Marv!!!
I'm a cashier and bringing your own cloth bags does not mean you have to bag your own purchases, God forbid...we do that for you...
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9-26-2009 @ 10:16PM
Rhonda said...
Oh yeah Marv, I forgot to add...you're an A$$HOLE
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9-26-2009 @ 10:25PM
Mike said...
Only in Caleeeeee-freakin--fornia. Start stuffing your pockets with hummus and sprouts.
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9-26-2009 @ 10:40PM
flyboyzii said...
Eff California & it's inhabitants (mostly who can't read or speak a single word I just typed)
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9-29-2009 @ 1:46PM
ps said...
Why worry about this crap, we are all going to be the same, have the same and do the same. It's called rights. So many people wants there rights, that no one is going to have rights!!! Wake up idiots. California is harldy the leader, it starts in WD, with the over zealous group trying to find sonething else to take away be cause it offends someone or something. If they don't ban it they will tax it. Like I say we will all be the same, I think it's called socialisim or is that Obumbuisum?
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9-27-2009 @ 12:28AM
Tim Allen said...
I use as many plastic bags as possible! I even bag my milk cartons(That are plastic) and throw them in the regular garbage. Maybe I do that to piss off liberal tree huggers. I LOVE pissing them off in person! They get sooooooo frustrated, and are too afraid to do anything about it.
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9-27-2009 @ 12:56AM
BANMAN said...
THEY HAVE BEEN TAKING THINGS AWAY FROM US FOR YEARS ! AND IT USUALLY STARTS IN CALI..FK..NIA. I HAVE 1 CLOTH BAG, I GUESS I BETTER START BUYING MORE THAN USE A PLASTIC BAG TO CARRY THEM IN LOL.
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9-27-2009 @ 1:28AM
Marshall said...
Would I still be able to make some paper Halloween bag masks?
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9-29-2009 @ 6:15PM
nuria said...
soon therye gonna be banning what food to what medicine to take whatever happened to free country
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9-27-2009 @ 2:06AM
sofarinimout said...
Yuo people take self-medication too seriously, there's a liquor store on every corner.
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