Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

photo credit: antjeverena

After a series of fits and starts and intense lobbying by the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition (I kid you not, this is a real organization), the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban plastic bags from grocery and other stores. The ban is slated to go in effect by July 2010 if the state of California does not move forward with plans to require stores to collect a 25-cent fee on each plastic bag a customer requests.

The news comes on the heels of a much weaker plan voted on by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which voluntarily asks stores to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags.

Coastal Communities Happy, Bag Industry Sad

The Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, and many neighbors in L.A.’s coastal communities and beyond support Wednesday’s move by the council. They say that ubiquitous plastic bags clog storm drains, litter city streets and beaches, harm wildlife, and add to an ever growing landfill.

Opponents, which include makers of plastic bags and the California Grocers Association, say the ban will have a devastating effect on the region’s packaging companies.

More Cities Poised to Ban Plastic Bags

San Francisco has already enacted a similar ban on plastic bags. Stores still offer free bags—usually paper, sometimes recyclable or compostable plastic. Based on anecdotal evidence, more shoppers bring their own bags. The cities of Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica are also in various stages of plans to reduce plastic shopping bag consumption.

Most of the San Franciscans we’ve talked to support the plastic bag ban. Sure, it can be a pain to remember to bring bags to the store. But while paper or cloth bags are bulkier and take up more closet space, they are also more durable and hold more items than the old plastic bags. Overall, it’s good to treat bag as a commodity that we value. It encourages everyone to reduce, re-use, and recycle.

More resources:

“L.A. City Council Votes for Ban on Plastic Shopping Bags,” Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-plastic23-2008jul23,0,5875215.story

“Plastic Bag Plan Unravels,” Los Angeles Times, January 23, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bags23jan23,1,1494577.story

“Plastic Bags - Good Stuff?” Facts from the Worldwatch Institute
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1499

“S.F. First City to Ban Plastic Shopping Bags,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 28, 2007
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/28/MNGDROT5QN1.DTL

photo credit: macieklew

To help shoppers make informed choices at the grocery store, the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit dedicated to educating consumers about commonplace but potentially dangerous chemicals, tested pesticide residue on common fruits and vegetables. The lists they created from their research serve as a great money-saving cheat sheet:

12 Fruits & Veggies Highest in Pesticides (Try to Buy Organic)

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes - imported
10. Pears
11. Spinach
12. Potatoes

12 Fruits & Veggies Lowest in Pesticides (Don’t Sweat If It’s Not Organic)

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn - frozen
4. Pineapples
5. Mangoes
6. Sweet Peas - frozen
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. Eggplant

EWG offers a more detailed downloadable PDF guide that you can print out and take shopping. The other good news is that our family taste tests, the “try to buy organic” foods like peaches, apples, and strawberries taste much better than their higher-in-pesticide counterparts. And the ones lowest in pesticides like onions or cabbage taste just as good as organic.