Two industry-written proposals have been introduced in the General Assembly in recent days. Their intent is to make it look like the industry is "doing something." In fact, they will only encourage complacency and confuse people when stronger, more effective proposals are also achievable.
Late last week SB164 was introduced in the General Assembly. The Plastic Bag Recycling Act is a sort of extended producer responsibility (EPR) measure intended to appear as though the plastics industry is taking steps to become more sustainable.
EPR is in theory a good thing--you make something, you should be responsible for dealing with it at the end of its useful life, instead of leaving that to the general public (i.e., taxpayers) or simply abandoning it. European countries have strong EPR laws and their municipal waste volumes are quite low compared to ours in the U.S.
But weak EPR proposals can also hinder the success of real, viable, effective solutions, because it makes people think they are doing something, and resistant to doing more, when in fact nothing of substance changes.
And that is the case here. SB164 requires plastic bag manufacturers to register with the state, print their names on the bags they distribute to retailers in the state, and file reports about how many bags they sell and recycle. They are also required to educate the public about recycling.
How printing the manufacturer's name on a bag reduces litter, I really can't say.
Identical legislation was considered in Illinois last year but it failed to get out of committee.
We expect this to be cross-filed in the House shortly. Meanwhile we already have HB169, which requires stores to maintain recycling bins where customers can bring their bags back. In theory, this is fine--not all jurisdictions offer curbside recycling of plastic bags, and it discourages shoppers from just throwing them away. But retailers are already paying to have their trash taken away; adding recycling pickup adds cost. Small businesses will really feel that extra cost.
And while plastic bags are theoretically recyclable, even if every one of the 3 billion bags Marylanders use each year were turned in for recycling, the infrastructure just isn't there to handle them all. More than 90% of them will be landfilled or incinerated--or lost to the breeze during transportation and become litter anyway. (See the EPA's own data, fourth bullet under Just the Facts. That green box on the right side of the page might interest some of you as well.)
Thus we need to look at proposals that will target that "3 billion bags used" number. Reducing the amount of bags we use is the only way to truly reduce how much trash we produce, and how much litter blights our neighborhoods.
The Community Cleanup and Greening Act will be introduced next week. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Contact your representatives!
As we wrote in November, Prince George's County is working toward a five-cent fee on plastic and paper bags, to reduce litter and save money for shoppers, businesses, and the county government. In order to bring the matter to the County Council, first the Maryland General Assembly has to give the county authority.
We have a new email action alert system to allow you to easily show your support of this proposal. When you sign, an email is sent to your delegates and senator that represent you in Annapolis. You can also include a note about why you think this legislation is a good idea.
Send an email by clicking here. We also encourage you to call. Your representatives' phone numbers are listed when you enter your zip code at the action alert, or you can search by your address here.
We have a new email action alert system to allow you to easily show your support of this proposal. When you sign, an email is sent to your delegates and senator that represent you in Annapolis. You can also include a note about why you think this legislation is a good idea.
Send an email by clicking here. We also encourage you to call. Your representatives' phone numbers are listed when you enter your zip code at the action alert, or you can search by your address here.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Bag Fee vs. Tax: More industry rhetoric
Cross-posted on Ban the Bag!
The most common refrain from industry’s echo chamber on a proposed bag fee is: ”it’s a tax,” and taxes, as we all know, is politically a very bad word. Even among fellow advocates, it seems like I am constantly correcting people when they refer to “Washington, DC’s bag tax.” It’s a fee, and I’m not just being a hard-ass worried about appearances when I correct people. They really are two different things.
The five cents charged for single-use plastic and paper bags in DC is a fee because the purpose of the charge isn’t to raise revenue–it’s to encourage people to use reusable bags, and reduce the number of bags entering the waste/recycling/litter stream. Also, the proceeds are tied directly to the consequences of using that bag: litter prevention and river restoration.
As described by the Tax Foundation, and written by now US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer in 1992, there are three tests to define a charge as a tax:
So when confronted by industry shills that automatically bleats, “It’s a tax!” your simplest reply is: “No, the intent is not to raise revenue, and you don’t have to pay it if you don’t use the bag,” and if they press you, get a little nastier and say, “What’s at issue here is that it’s terrible that we have to impose a fee at all, shouldn’t YOU (industry) be paying to cleanup the mess your product creates in the environment? What we need is a tax on YOU, to shift the burden of cleanup from the taxpayer to the polluting industry that creates the mess in the first place.”
The most common refrain from industry’s echo chamber on a proposed bag fee is: ”it’s a tax,” and taxes, as we all know, is politically a very bad word. Even among fellow advocates, it seems like I am constantly correcting people when they refer to “Washington, DC’s bag tax.” It’s a fee, and I’m not just being a hard-ass worried about appearances when I correct people. They really are two different things.
The five cents charged for single-use plastic and paper bags in DC is a fee because the purpose of the charge isn’t to raise revenue–it’s to encourage people to use reusable bags, and reduce the number of bags entering the waste/recycling/litter stream. Also, the proceeds are tied directly to the consequences of using that bag: litter prevention and river restoration.
As described by the Tax Foundation, and written by now US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer in 1992, there are three tests to define a charge as a tax:
-
- who imposes the assessment
- who pays the assessment
- what the revenue is spent on
“When the primary purpose of an enactment is to raise revenue, the enactment will be considered a tax, regardless of the name attached to the act….”As the Tax Foundation continues on its blog:
“The converse of that is that when the primary purpose of an enactment is to offset the cost of providing a service, it is a fee.”Another way to look at the bag fee is as a user fee. Unlike a tax, you don’t have to pay it. People who choose single-use bags can pay for the privilege. Shoppers who decline to use a bag, or bring their own, don’t pay it. Now, to complicate matters, Montgomery County, Maryland, does officially call their five-cent bag charge an excise tax, because it is applied to a specific good. They used this definition because of an unusual authority the county has to enact excise taxes without permission from the state’s General Assembly. (Prince George’s County does not have this authority, so they have to request permission just to consider a bag ordinance! However, Montgomery County still expects the revenues to diminish over time, and the proceeds are targeted to stormwater improvements and litter abatement. It still only meets the first of the three criteria for being a tax, as in DC.
So when confronted by industry shills that automatically bleats, “It’s a tax!” your simplest reply is: “No, the intent is not to raise revenue, and you don’t have to pay it if you don’t use the bag,” and if they press you, get a little nastier and say, “What’s at issue here is that it’s terrible that we have to impose a fee at all, shouldn’t YOU (industry) be paying to cleanup the mess your product creates in the environment? What we need is a tax on YOU, to shift the burden of cleanup from the taxpayer to the polluting industry that creates the mess in the first place.”
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Montgomery County's bag fee now in effect!
Shoppers in Montgomery County now have added incentive to skip unneeded disposable bags at checkout in local stores, as the County's five-cent bag fee went into effect on January 1. The County expects the fee to generate $1 million in revenue this year, which will be used to purchase and distribute reusable bags to low-income and elderly residents, and to support storm water improvement and litter abatement programs through the Water Quality Protection Charge fund. Here's another story about it from Fox 5.
As with any change, some shoppers have expressed confusion about when the fee applies. As in 2010 when DC's bag fee took effect, the media is quick to highlight these stories, but, also as in DC, we expect that consumers will learn the ropes and begin to make a habit of reusing bags. The County has already distributed more than 30,000 free reusable bags. It also has a thorough Q&A section on their website and is actively promoting bag giveaways at stores around the county, including Safeway, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Little Bitts Shop. For more updates, be sure to follow @BringYourBagMC on Twitter.
If you still aren't convinced about the problems of plastic bags, Green Wheaton invites you to attend a free screening of the film Bag It! next Monday, January 9, at 7 pm at Brookside Gardens. They will also be distributing free reusable bags from Safeway! Register for your seat here.
As with any change, some shoppers have expressed confusion about when the fee applies. As in 2010 when DC's bag fee took effect, the media is quick to highlight these stories, but, also as in DC, we expect that consumers will learn the ropes and begin to make a habit of reusing bags. The County has already distributed more than 30,000 free reusable bags. It also has a thorough Q&A section on their website and is actively promoting bag giveaways at stores around the county, including Safeway, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Little Bitts Shop. For more updates, be sure to follow @BringYourBagMC on Twitter.
If you still aren't convinced about the problems of plastic bags, Green Wheaton invites you to attend a free screening of the film Bag It! next Monday, January 9, at 7 pm at Brookside Gardens. They will also be distributing free reusable bags from Safeway! Register for your seat here.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
How much plastic is in your community?
Props to the Surfrider Foundation's Cape Fear Chapter for this excellent, simple video:
This is a terrific project for your volunteers to do. Just head out to a regular roadside in your community and pluck the bags out of the bushes. Line them up, look them over--anything unusual?--and share with the world. You can post your videos to our new Facebook page, and we can show the General Assembly that this is a problem statewide.
This is a terrific project for your volunteers to do. Just head out to a regular roadside in your community and pluck the bags out of the bushes. Line them up, look them over--anything unusual?--and share with the world. You can post your videos to our new Facebook page, and we can show the General Assembly that this is a problem statewide.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Your cloth bags are not going to poison you
The wire stories about bacteria in reusable bags are starting to make the rounds again. (Funny how they re-emerge during key points in campaigns to enact a plastic-bag-reduction ordinance, huh? Almost like it's an opposition tactic...)
The study, authored by microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona, asserts that reusable bags that are exposed to raw meats can harbor bacteria. It goes on to imply that when consumers don't wash their bags regularly, that bacteria can transfer to other foods and potentially cause food-borne illness.
There are several good rebuttals already out there, particularly this one from Consumer Reports, which points out a number of holes in the study--notably funded by the American Chemistry Council, the lobbying/trade organization for plastic manufacturers. Among the flaws:
So is the answer really to avoid reusable bags? Of course not. No illness has ever been linked to cloth bags. But it does make sense to follow common-sense food safety practices like washing your hands. Especially after you've handled all those other doorknobs, gas pumps, and grocery carts...
The study, authored by microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona, asserts that reusable bags that are exposed to raw meats can harbor bacteria. It goes on to imply that when consumers don't wash their bags regularly, that bacteria can transfer to other foods and potentially cause food-borne illness.
There are several good rebuttals already out there, particularly this one from Consumer Reports, which points out a number of holes in the study--notably funded by the American Chemistry Council, the lobbying/trade organization for plastic manufacturers. Among the flaws:
- - Only 84 bags were tested. The sample size is not statistically significant.
- The bacteria found aren't even harmful to human health. They tested for Salmonella and Listeria and found none.
"A person eating an average bag of salad greens gets more exposure to these bacteria than if they had licked the insides of the dirtiest bag from this study. These bacteria can be found lots of places, so no need to go overboard."Which brings up an excellent point: bacteria are everywhere. Dr. Gerba regularly releases "dirty household items" studies--conveniently funded by corporate interests. Last month he released a study of the "germiest" common items (underwritten by Kleenex and hand sanitizer manufacturer Kimberly-Clark), and reusable bags weren't included. He also says grocery cart handles carry more bacteria than a typical bathroom.
So is the answer really to avoid reusable bags? Of course not. No illness has ever been linked to cloth bags. But it does make sense to follow common-sense food safety practices like washing your hands. Especially after you've handled all those other doorknobs, gas pumps, and grocery carts...
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Support a Prince George's County Bag Bill
By Brent Bolin
Director of Advocacy, Anacostia Watershed Society
Cross-posted from www.anacostiaws.org
The Anacostia River is so severely impacted by trash that in 2007 it was declared impaired by trash under the provisions of the Clean Water Act. Only the second river in the country to be so designated, and the first multi-jurisdictional river (Maryland and DC), in 2010 a trash TMDL, or pollution diet, was issued that requires Anacostia jurisdictions to reduce the amount of trash entering the river.
At the end of 2008 AWS released a scientific study of trash in the Anacostia River. One of the key findings of this study was that 33% of the trash in the tidal river was plastic bags, while nearly 50% of the trash in tributary streams was plastic bags.
The only truly sustainable way to deal with trash in our waterways is to reduce litter at the source -- AWS and volunteers can't be expected to hold trash clean-ups forever, and even trash traps only capture a portion of the trash in a waterway (and also require time and effort to maintain). For this reason AWS supports sensible policy changes that reduce trash at the source, such as DC's bag bill.
The DC bag bill is seen as a model trash reduction policy because of its simplicity and effectiveness. Assessing a 5-cent fee on disposable carryout bags, the bag bill creates an incentive for consumers to bring their own reusable bags to the store -- if you don't take the store's bags, you don't pay! As a result of this policy:
There is no such thing as a free bag -- instead the cost of purchasing bags is passed on to the consumer via higher prices. AWS estimates the "hidden cost" of bags at $15 - $37.50 yearly for each Marylander. The bag bill is pro consumer because it exposes this hidden cost and allows the customer to avoid it. Unlike a tax, the bag fee can avoided -- if you don't want to pay the bag fee, you never have to!
Montgomery County has already followed DC's lead and enacted a bag program, and it is time for Prince George's County to do the same - it will help the county meet trash TMDL obligations, clean up our waterways, and generate funds for water quality propection.
How you can help
For complicated reasons involving the county's charter from the state, Prince George's County must receive authorization from the General Assembly in order to enact a bag fee program. Fortunately, the County Executive and several members of County Council are interested in the bag bill and they are seeking that authorization in the form of a local bill in the General Assembly. Prince George's County spends $2.5 million annually on litter clean-up and a bag bill would help reduce a major source of litter in our communities.
Please consider supporting the bill by attending the local hearing this Saturday, December 3, 9AM, at Queen Anne’s Theater, Prince George’s County Community College, Largo, MD. The bag fee authorization bill is number PG 402-12. Even if you aren't sure how you feel about a bag fee program, this decision should be made by the county council and not by state delegates so please urge your legislators to support home rule for Prince George's County by enacting PG 402-12.
Write your delegates and delegation chair Melony Griffith to tell them to support PG 402-12!
Director of Advocacy, Anacostia Watershed Society
Cross-posted from www.anacostiaws.org
The Anacostia River is so severely impacted by trash that in 2007 it was declared impaired by trash under the provisions of the Clean Water Act. Only the second river in the country to be so designated, and the first multi-jurisdictional river (Maryland and DC), in 2010 a trash TMDL, or pollution diet, was issued that requires Anacostia jurisdictions to reduce the amount of trash entering the river.
At the end of 2008 AWS released a scientific study of trash in the Anacostia River. One of the key findings of this study was that 33% of the trash in the tidal river was plastic bags, while nearly 50% of the trash in tributary streams was plastic bags.
 |
| Plastic bags snagged along the Northwest Branch in Chillum, MD |
The only truly sustainable way to deal with trash in our waterways is to reduce litter at the source -- AWS and volunteers can't be expected to hold trash clean-ups forever, and even trash traps only capture a portion of the trash in a waterway (and also require time and effort to maintain). For this reason AWS supports sensible policy changes that reduce trash at the source, such as DC's bag bill.
The DC bag bill is seen as a model trash reduction policy because of its simplicity and effectiveness. Assessing a 5-cent fee on disposable carryout bags, the bag bill creates an incentive for consumers to bring their own reusable bags to the store -- if you don't take the store's bags, you don't pay! As a result of this policy:
- DC has seen an estimated 80% reduction in bag use -- from 270 million bags in 2009 to 55 million bags in 2010
- Alice Ferguson Foundation reported polling data on the impact of DC's bag bill -- 78% of businesses reported either positive or no impact to their business and 75% of DC residents reported using fewer single-use plastic bags
There is no such thing as a free bag -- instead the cost of purchasing bags is passed on to the consumer via higher prices. AWS estimates the "hidden cost" of bags at $15 - $37.50 yearly for each Marylander. The bag bill is pro consumer because it exposes this hidden cost and allows the customer to avoid it. Unlike a tax, the bag fee can avoided -- if you don't want to pay the bag fee, you never have to!
 |
| Bags along roadside vegetation in Hyattsville, MD |
Montgomery County has already followed DC's lead and enacted a bag program, and it is time for Prince George's County to do the same - it will help the county meet trash TMDL obligations, clean up our waterways, and generate funds for water quality propection.
How you can help
For complicated reasons involving the county's charter from the state, Prince George's County must receive authorization from the General Assembly in order to enact a bag fee program. Fortunately, the County Executive and several members of County Council are interested in the bag bill and they are seeking that authorization in the form of a local bill in the General Assembly. Prince George's County spends $2.5 million annually on litter clean-up and a bag bill would help reduce a major source of litter in our communities.
Please consider supporting the bill by attending the local hearing this Saturday, December 3, 9AM, at Queen Anne’s Theater, Prince George’s County Community College, Largo, MD. The bag fee authorization bill is number PG 402-12. Even if you aren't sure how you feel about a bag fee program, this decision should be made by the county council and not by state delegates so please urge your legislators to support home rule for Prince George's County by enacting PG 402-12.
Write your delegates and delegation chair Melony Griffith to tell them to support PG 402-12!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Upcoming workshops
One benefit of Alliance membership is training opportunities. I am beginning a road show of workshops around the state to educate members and other interested folks in the ins and outs of a plastics campaign.
This Wednesday, November 16, I will be at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in Baltimore. The workshop begins at 2 pm and will focus primarily on legislative solutions to plastic litter, including case studies of the successful advocacy campaigns in Washington, DC, and Montgomery County. If you are interested in attending, please email me!
Other workshops are scheduled for December 1 in Cambridge and December 13 in Berlin. Check our calendar tab for more details.
This Wednesday, November 16, I will be at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in Baltimore. The workshop begins at 2 pm and will focus primarily on legislative solutions to plastic litter, including case studies of the successful advocacy campaigns in Washington, DC, and Montgomery County. If you are interested in attending, please email me!
Other workshops are scheduled for December 1 in Cambridge and December 13 in Berlin. Check our calendar tab for more details.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
In brighter news...
A roundup of recent success stories:
Brownsville, Texas, instituted a ban on plastic bags in January, and residents are seeing the results:
As part of the transition, stores could continue to give out plastic bags if they added a $1 surcharge to the transaction as an environmental fee. The bulk of the fee goes to the city -- about $250,000 was collected and used for litter pickup and as an incentive for bulk waste disposal.
Portland, Oregon's plastic bag ban took effect on October 15. Mayor Sam Adams expects the transition to be smooth, but hopes curmudgeons will blame him, and not the cashiers:
And Chicago is now considering a plastic bag ordinance as well. Alderman Joe Moreno is proposing a ban in order to prevent a scenario he recently described:
Brownsville, Texas, instituted a ban on plastic bags in January, and residents are seeing the results:
Brownsville resident Juan Peña says he has noticed that the city looks a lot cleaner.
Travel around any part of the city and you probably will not see plastic bags clinging to fences or discarded on the roadways.
Peña says West Brownsville especially looks cleaner than it did about 11 months ago. He says the decision by city officials to implement a plastic bag in January was a good thing.
As part of the transition, stores could continue to give out plastic bags if they added a $1 surcharge to the transaction as an environmental fee. The bulk of the fee goes to the city -- about $250,000 was collected and used for litter pickup and as an incentive for bulk waste disposal.
Portland, Oregon's plastic bag ban took effect on October 15. Mayor Sam Adams expects the transition to be smooth, but hopes curmudgeons will blame him, and not the cashiers:
And Chicago is now considering a plastic bag ordinance as well. Alderman Joe Moreno is proposing a ban in order to prevent a scenario he recently described:
"I am, right now, I'm at [a] school in my ward, I'm about to meet with the principal, I'm on the playground," said Moreno. "And I can count eight bags just sitting here...it's windy out today, bouncing off the fences in this little playground area....Someone's got to clean those up, and it's city taxpayers that pay for that."
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