Plastic Bag Rehab

Celebrity and eco-fashion designer Stella McCartney was onto something when she released a limited-edition biodegradable shopping bag for her H&M Collection, but now San Francisco is topping her.

Staring this Tuesday November 20, plastic bags will be banned in San Francisco in large supermarkets with over $2 million in annual sales, and in large pharmacies 6 months from now. The SF Department of the Environment will begin enforcement on December 1, 2007. Now that is a job I'd like to have. The plastic bag police.

It is time to break up with plastic bags. We have all seen them flying through the air, stuck in a tree, and about to enter a drain and pollute the sea. We have all experienced the dreaded double-plastic-bagging at Safeway, which left us with a mountain of flimsy plastic bags at home.

We have all heard the shocking statistics that 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed globally per year, or a 1 million per minute. 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually in the U.S. 180 million in San Francisco per year, last year that is. Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade, breaking down into small toxic bits that contaminate soil, waterways, and the food web. And plastic bags are made from petroleum. Enough said.

It is time to bag the plastic bag and move on to a more fulfilling relationship. We are trading up, from plastic bags to recycled paper bags. From plastic bags to biodegradable compostable bags. From plastic bags to our own stylish bags.

About a year and a half ago, I took an oath of "no new bags". Once you do that, you realize how many bag-pushers are out there. Since then, I have brought a Whole Foods bag to Safeway, a Mollie Stones bag to Whole Foods, and even a Barneys bag to Walgreens. Now that raised some eyebrows.

San Francisco’s Plastic Ban Reduction Ordinance was sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and is the first in the country. I thought it was appropriate that the lone dissenting voice on the board was the now defunct, former Supervisor Ed Jew. 

New Green Bag Love Affair

Here are some fun ways to get into the plastic bag ban spirit:

BYOB: Bring your own bag to the store and put your beer in it. Collect your bag credit. Those giant Whole Foods recycled paper bags with handles (Dura-Bags) last forever! 

Single Bags:  If you find yourself stuck at a grocery store without a bag, ask for single bags. Just say NO to double bagging!  Why is it that supermarkets are so obsessed with double bags btw?  This is an eco-disservice, unless the contents are super heavy of course. Double bagging should be the exception, not the rule.

Reusable Bags: Check out Reusable Bags for many baggy facts and lots of, what else, reusable bags in every shape and color. The Wave Bag is one of my favorites. It is made from recycled rice & feed bags and is very durable and fair trade.

BioBags: These biodegradable bags are the "new new" plastic bag. Made from corn, these bags can be put in your green bin and composted. If they are trashed, they will still decompose slowly over time, not last forever like plastic. I am using BioBags for my tall kitchen trash bags (they are a pretty color green too) and for food composting. Available in supermarkets and online via www.biobagusa.com.

Stewart+Brown:  For higher end shopping, these talented eco-designers create some of the most chic bags around. The turtle and pony totes were my favorites this season. Look under Factory Surplus on Stewart+Brown.

Green Home: This online mecca for green products has an impressive assortment of stylish organic cotton bags from Vancouver and even some hemp computer bags. GreenHome.com

Plastic Bag Rehab: If you spend $20 on Method home products this holiday season, you will receive the hip Plastic Bag Rehab tote designed by Danny Seo. And it folds up into its own sack for easy carrying.

Chico Bags: What fits in your hand, your pocket, your purse?  A ChicoBag. These little gems are quickly overtaking canvas bags in popularity.

Dance one last dance with the Bag Monster or run away if he/she/it scares you.

Celebrating the Plastic Bag Ban

Plastic Bag Ban Bash

WHEN:
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
6:00 pm

WHERE:
111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco

FEATURING:
Music by DJ Brent Northey, an Eco Trashy Fashion Contest where the winner receives $250, tasty treats, a fashion show by Haute Trash, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, free valet bike parking, free drinks for the first hour, and ChicoBags.

Admission: $5 donation which goes to the Surfrider Foundation and Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council.

Be there with bags on.