Item 4: Ordinance Encouraging Use of Reusable Bags

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Bag Ban Public Testimony 7/24/2012 – 9/17/2012 9/17/12 From: lou97404@yahoo.com To: Eugene Mayor, City Council, and City Manager I agree that on the face of it it appears a good idea to ban the use of grocery store plastic bags. However, a deeper look at the issue presents a different story. We reuse our bags to pick up after our dog. Without those bags we would have to buy plastic bags for that purpose. We also reuse the bags as trash can liners. Again, without those bags we would be purchasing bags for that purpose. So two specific instances where a thin, free bag would be replaced by a thinker and expensive bag. Then there is the issue of bacterial cross contamination. Studies have shown the fabric bags become contaminated from not being carefully washed, then the contamination is transferred to the food you bring home from the store. Please, do not vote for a ban on plastic bags. Thank You, Lou Engle From: George Hermach [mailto:georuth12@comcast.net] Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2012 11:09 AM To: *Eugene Mayor, City Council, and City Manager Subject: further comment re plastic bags Dear Mayor, Council Members and Manager: We have sent comments on this subject on March 2, 2012 detailing our objections to a city-wide ban on plastic bags. We offer further comments for your consideration. We find the objections to plastic bags are not supported by documented studies and factual evidence, but are more anecdotal. I urge that you consider the broader issues of plastics in general. Most manufactured products produced today make use of significant percentages of plastic, both structurally and in their inherent design. Almost all goods are packaged in plastic. Most of the world’s clothing is produced from plastic. Most of the goods on grocer’s shelves are contained in plastic or at least plastic coated. Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, cleaning products etc are all in plastic containers. And the giant remains, plastic drink containers Recycling continues to advance slowly, limited by the attempt at automated machinery rather than human labor. Escaped or deliberately tossed trash in our landscape is not predominantly plastic bags, but a very wide variety of items including paper products and bags. Ocean contamination consists of many things, but larger mass plastics such as disintegrating bottles and containers predominate. We believe to selectively ban a single plastic item forcing use of much more damaging paper bags to be very unwise. The multiple advantages of thin plastic bags have been well demonstrated. They are more cheaply and easily recycled than paper bags.