One thing I have tried to do with my position is to raise awareness what I consider to be the overuse of disposable items.  We are all guilt of it, myself included...

 
This year, inspired by two city councilman, Sam Shropshire of Annapolis, and Jim Kraft of Baltimore City who had proposed similar municipal bills for their respective cities, I proposed Maryland’s first plastic grocery bag ban bill.

The idea, is to convert shoppers from the one-time use disposable plastic bags, to reusable canvas grocery bags.  On their face, the results were not so good.  Like the Bottle Bill the year before, this bill died unceremoniously in the bowels of an House Subcommittee.  But that result was expected.

What was unexpected was the positive reaction from so many friends and neighbors who have started using the reusables for the first time.  In simply having a bill hearing we have begun to scratch the surface, to raise awareness about the nature of our use not just of plastic grocery bags but of other excessive packaging.

Also surprising was industry joining the fight.  While the grocers association opposed an outright ban, chains like Giant and Superfresh, and even Wallmart are working to push environmentally friendly alternatives to one-use plastic. 

My message is simple.  If you aren’t ready to convert to reusables, at least refuse a bag when it is completely unnecessary.   Please don’t put my milk jug in a plastic bag.  The milk jug already has a handle!   

Here is a little bit of the press from the bag ban.

• www.wusa9.com
• www.hometownannapolis.com
• www.usatoday.com

Comments

Search

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."