City of Arlington considering ban on plastic bags

by Chad Jones

Heads up, Arlington shoppers: plastic grocery bags might soon be banned within the city.

What this means

Beautiful scenes like these might be a thing of the past if Arlington City Council has its way.

On Tuesday, May 6th, the Arlington City Council gave unanimous support to a proposal that would outlaw the lightweight bags used mainly in grocery or convenience stores. City officials have said the bags are the largest source of litter within the city (S-T references a figure of $1.4 million in litter clean-up).

After the unanimous support, the city is now working on drafting an ordinance for an official council vote which, if approved, could be enacted before the year is up.

The city of San Francisco banned plastic bags in 2007. However, they've also got the Haight-Ashbury, so that evens out.

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Elizabeth Eshelman says:

I think a plastic bag ban seems kind of extreme, but that turtle picture makes me very very sad!! :(

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1 year, 6 months ago
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Kay says:

Maybe the Arlington grocery stores will begin letting customers "utilize" many of the cardboard boxes that they now are 'breaking down'? I'd rather have a paper bag over plastic, but the boxes can be re-used/recycled for "carry-out". Some of the lower-end (bag your own purchase) groceries have saved them for customer use for a long time.

BTW Doesn't the 'bring your own cloth bag' idea only work if you buy small amounts at a time??

I agree, that IS the saddest photo!

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1 year, 6 months ago
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Erin Rice says:

If the town didn't hire turtles to clean up all the bags, it might be cheaper. When you're paying turtles by the hour...

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1 year, 6 months ago
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Elizabeth Eshelman says:

haha @ Erin - Seriously though, that reminds me of a picture I saw in scholastic weekly reader about 20 yrs ago of a dolphin with a soda can ring (from the 6 packs) around its um ... mouth, I guess. Anyway I immediately went home and made my mom cut all those things from then on.
I also have come up against the re-usable bag dilemma. I usually load up when I go to the store so I only need to go every two weeks or so - It seems weird to try to cram all that stuff into one bag.
I do re-use all grocery bags I get though.

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1 year, 6 months ago
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SeeCristyType says:

More cities should jump on the no plastic bag bandwagon. There are enough re-usable bags being given away as promos that plastic bags should be obsolete. Besides, plastic bag users make turtles sad. (See above.)

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1 year, 6 months ago
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James Scott says:

It is kind of a pain if you have a large grocery list to use the reusables, but you can generally cram more into one reusable bag that is more sturdy than you can in those little plastic bags, so it's sometimes a little easier to carry. I just hate the glazed-over looks you sometimes get in non-Central Market/Whole Foods type grocery stores when you pull out your reusables - they look at you like some kind of a freak (not to say it isn't true).

If nothing else, this ban will make it less awkward pulling out your pack of reusable bags to sack your groceries with.

Resuables. I didn’t think I said that word enough in this comment, so I thought I’d go once more. Poor turtles.