Annapolis considering nation's toughest plastic bag ban

Associated Press
July 23, 2007

ANNAPOLIS — An Annapolis official proposing a toughest-in-the-nation plastic shopping bag ban said today he has the votes to ban all plastic bags. A first public hearing on the proposal was scheduled for this evening.

"We're going to be the first to enact a full ban," said Democratic Alderman Samuel Shropshire, who sponsored the proposal. "I fully expect to have the votes to have this legislation."

Many cities, including Baltimore, are considering bag bans after San Francisco and Oakland, Calif., banned traditional plastic shopping bags.

The Annapolis proposal is different because it would ban all plastic bags, even ones that can be composted, fining retailers $100 per bag on a first offense for using plastic. Opponents say Annapolis' proposal is so draconian that even restaurant takeout food may be forced into brown paper bags.

If the Annapolis City Council approves the bill — a vote is not expected before October — this city of about 36,000 would be the first on the East Coast to enact a ban.

Shoppers in Annapolis were sanguine about the proposal today before the hearing. At grocery store parking lots across town, even shoppers with carts full of plastic bags said Shropshire's idea may not be a bad one.

"Whatever's better for the environment, let's do it," said Kelly Bass, who requests plastic bags now but reuses them for lunches and cat litter clean up.

Another shopper, Sara Stinchcomb, recycles her plastic shopping bags but agreed with a ban. "We have enough plastic in the world," she said.

An industry group says plastic bags are getting a bad rap. Donna Dempsey, spokeswoman for the Houston-based Progressive Bag Alliance, which represents three bag makers, argues that paper bags are worse for the environment than plastic bags because paper bags take up more room, meaning more fuel for shipping.

Dempsey said today she planned to tell the nine-member city council that plastic-bag makers would rather work on encouraging recycling or repeat uses.

"They're lightweight, they're convenient, they can be used for many uses around the house," she said.

A spokesman for Maryland-based Giant Food, a 190-store grocery chain, said retailers should provide recycling incentives, not force customers to change to paper.

"We support the goal of such a ban, which is to eliminate litter. We think that the goal can be accomplished through other means, such as having retailers recycle plastic bags," said Barry Scher, Giant's vice president of public relations.

However, shopper Marian Klakring said most people would prefer paper bags if the retailers would start using them more.

"The paper bags have strong handles and hold up so much better, so I always ask for paper," Klakring said.

Shropshire said the Chesapeake Bay would benefit if his ordinance passes. He said stray plastic bags can fill with sand and litter the bay floor, or float and resemble food for some species.

"Plastic bags gum up stormwater drains. They pollute the bay. They do great harm to aquatic life," he said. "This is a small shot we're firing at the giant of overconsumption. It's a small shot, but it's a step."

One grocer said he doubted the plastic-vs.-paper debate would be settled with Shropshire's ban. John Evans, owner of Graul's Market in Annapolis, said he's not taking a position on the ordinance and will conform with whichever bag is in vogue.

"I remember years ago when plastic bags began to come into their own. The argument was, we're saving all the trees from being cut down. This has raged back and forth forever," Evans said.