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Ms. Taylor asked if there were biodegradable grocery bags. Mr. Nelson said yes, but he did not think <br />Eugene would want to encourage their use at this time because of the potential for additional <br />contamination in the commercial composting program. He said that composters do not currently accept <br />biodegradable bags. <br />Mr. Poling looked forward to moving on to the next step in the process. He said grocers in his ward <br />indicated that the shift was occurring on an industry wide basis. <br />Mr. Brown opposed the use of plastic bags and supported the staff - proposed motion to move a plastic bag <br />ban forward. He did object to the proposed cost pass- through, which forced vendors to charge customers <br />for a service that they previously received for free. He did not think the City should try to tell vendors <br />what they could and could not charge customers. Mr. Brown wondered if there was value to adding <br />wholesalers to the list of vendors. <br />Ms. Ortiz agreed with Mr. Brown about the cost pass- through. She hoped stores would incentivize people <br />to bring their own bags such as several local stores already did with a bag rebate. <br />Mr. Pryor suggested the council proceed thoughtfully, pointing out that the production of paper bags <br />required more energy, water, trees, and CO2 than plastic bags did. He did not think the goal was to <br />replace plastic bags with paper bags but rather to replace them both with reusable bags. He believed a <br />ban would not solve the problem but would begin to move the community toward that goal in the same <br />manner as returnable bottles had reduced the waste stream. While he wanted to keep the needs of the <br />low- income in mind, he asked how they would be identified as low- income for the purposes of exempting <br />them from a bag charge. <br />Mr. Farr had no objection to retailers charging for bags, and suggested some retailers might try to gain a <br />competitive advantage by offering free bags. He noted that Jerry's Home Improvement Center had <br />discontinued the use of plastic bags some years ago. <br />Speaking to Ms. Taylor's earlier question, Mr. Zelenka said he understood that biodegradable bags did <br />not break down without high temperatures. He suggested the concerns expressed by Mr. Brown and MS. <br />Ortiz about the cost pass- through could be addressed by changing the word "shall" to "may" in Section <br />6.860. <br />Speaking to Mr. Pryor's remarks, Mr. Zelenka said that paper bag manufacturers maintained that paper <br />bags produced 59 percent less greenhouse gases than plastic bags. For the benefit of the audience, Mr. <br />Zelenka reviewed the definition of a carryout bag. <br />Mr. Brown endorsed Mr. Zelenka's suggested change to Section 6.860. He believed local retailers had <br />been anticipating the change for some time and did not envision much opposition. He agreed with Ms. <br />Ortiz that vendors could incentivize the use of reusable bags in a positive way through a small rebate. He <br />noted that his own downtown grocery store, The Kiva, sold bags for a nickel above cost and had given <br />away hundreds of bags to customers during special promotions. He believed the proposal would give <br />stores time to use up their supply of plastic bags. Stores could also use that time to educate their <br />customers about the benefits of bringing their own bags. <br />Mayor Piercy wanted to know more about the other cities' experience with retailers distributing bags to <br />customers and if there were any safety issues. She suggested that Intergovernmental Relations Director <br />MINUTES— Eugene City Council February 27, 2012 Page 5 <br />Work Session <br />