It's BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) in San Bruno

Robert Riechel January 10, 2013 at 05:41 pm

I believe the City council needs to take a second vote before this will become law.
The City is holding a 9-10 AM info meeting at City Hall Jan 16th and another one on th e17th (time to be confirmed) to allow businesses and residents to ask questions etc.

Ken Ibarra January 10, 2013 at 07:16 pm

No, I'm not a fan of the new ordinance, but I voted for it. I like a simpler life. Remembering to bring reusable bags into the store took some time getting use to, but I do it now. Why couldn't we at least had tried a recycle campaign for plastic bags? I didn't recycle the plastic bags, but I saved them in the paper towel tube - saved for some other use. Didn't we used to throw cans and bottles in the garbage? And why are there always conditions? Why does a pharmacy get to use plastic? Remember styrofoam? Why is styrofoam still allowed for eggs and electronic packing?
It's my little rant. Do you think San Bruno or some other city is going to stand alone and reject the ordinance? Doubtful. Talk about peer pressure. Almost like our fireworks ordinance, eh? In the long run, it will definitely make a difference. An idea, why not ban cigarettes? Think of all the lives it will save...

Rob Chapman January 10, 2013 at 08:00 pm

So, the plastic bags that have always been free, are now banned, but we can still get paper bags.....for a fee. What about those of us that use public transit? What if I go to Target & buy 4 bags of groceries & it's raining? I then have to walk 5 blocks in the rain with paper bags. Or am I supposed to carry 4 or 5 reusable bags with me everywhere I go? The REAL purpose of this law is profit. Most people will buy the paper bags at checkout.

Mark Taylor January 11, 2013 at 02:08 pm

I think this is the wrong approach. I recall a long time ago when people decried the use of paper bags and promoted plastic bags as safer. Now we are going back again to paper and/or recycled bags. Lunardi's has a simple program-5 cents off for each paper bag you bring back to re-use. So I use those bags a lot and rarely get the plastic (except when it is raining outside). And those new carry bags are small, cannot hold the amounts the paper can, and have to be cleaned when stuff leaks out (making them unsanitary at times).
Target is the only store I go to that uses plastic bags. The reason is cost. It costs less for them to purchase rolls of plastic bags than packets of paper bags (which they will have to stock). This just adds more costs for the consumer, something governments do not consider much when adding such regulations. Look I am no fan of plastic bags but charging consumers for paper is silly and dumb. It will not encourage people to use those small grocery bags that do not hold as much (and can become messy and unsanitary). The problem here is education. Educate people to use paper over plastic and in the long term is a better way to go. And banning plastic bag for retailers does not end the trash problem either. Unless you are prepared to ban all use of plastic bags, you are still going to get a lot of it as garbage.