Starting today, it is illegal for large grocery stores in San Francisco
to use traditional plastic bags. Stores can use a special compostable
plastic bag or a brown paper bag made of 40% recycled paper. Shopper
are, of course, free to bring their own tote bags. A city ordinance
passed earlier this year becomes law today.
If San Francisco can do it, can’t Park Slope give it a try? What would it take to get plastic bags outlawed around here?
In SF, pharmacy chains will also have to comply in 6 months. The
policy will be the first enacted in the US. Oakland passed
a similar ban that goes into effect early in 2008.
Only retail businesses and smaller grocery stores will still be able
to hand out bags.
I think it would be worth considering how groceries could be delivered without using bags. Especially to a 4th floor walkup.
Keep PARK SLOPE green dont use plastic bags,,www.brooklynwalkingtour.com ill show you the historical slope..
To get rid of plastic bags -a great idea – a law
would have to be passed by the City Council and signed by the Mayor. Which means it applies to the whole city.
I’ve heard about the People’s Republic of PS before, but the neighborhood isn’t a lawmaking entity unto itself. Even the community board that covers PS has many other neighborhoods in its mix.
And in PS – there are only 4 “supermarkets” that would qualify under a law similar to SF … 2 Key Foods under separate ownership, the Associated and C-Town … and the drug chains Duane Reade and Rite-Aid.
But Met Foods and your nearby bodegas can still hit us with plastic. Flatbush Avenue and 4th Avenue would be the dividing lines in the plastic bag wars.
And Fairway in the ‘Hook will be plastic only, thank you.
Plus the bigger guys have lobbyists. Do they. And the “green” they think of has Presidential pictures on them. Hey — the owner of Gristides wants to run for mayor, doesn’t he?