South Tahoe initiates plan to cutback use of all bags
By Kathryn Reed
Reuse, reduce, recycle. That’s the vocabulary the South Lake Tahoe Sustainability Commission wants the community to learn.
The idea is to prolong the life of what’s considered a one-time bag from all stores, whether it’s plastic or paper, by reusing it, not using it or recycling it. Keeping them out of the garbage and landfills is the ultimate goal.
Commissioners would like to eliminate their use completely, but legal issues prevent that from being the mantra, plus it offends some who may partner with the all-volunteer panel.
Much of Wednesday afternoon’s discussion centered on defining the goal of the community education campaign. With input from South Tahoe High School students, South Tahoe Refuse and the American Chemistry Council, the final verbiage of the goal is, “Promote reduction, reuse and 100 percent recycling of one-time use bags to improve sustainable consumer behavior.”
Vocalizing the message begins March 27 at Lake Tahoe Community College at Sierra Nevada Alliance’s 5th annual Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival.
The idea is a slow, gradual roll-out of what the commission wants to do, with a possible major launch of the education campaign in June. Commissioners are thinking of having one month devoted to not using single-use bags.
Commissioners will spread the R words at the Earth Day celebration at the college on April 17 as well as at the Green Business mixer at Embassy Suites on April 22.
Plastic bags have dominated the commission’s agenda in the 10 months that it has existed. This action plan is one of the more substantial things the seven members have accomplished. A full report of their activities and future goals will be presented to the City Council in May.
Bags present several concerns. One is the amount of petroleum products needed to create them, with paper being a bigger culprit than plastic. Plastic bags, though, tend to end up strewn about and create a different environmental headache.
Ryan Kenny with the American Chemistry Council said his group based in Sacramento wants to help South Lake, but believes the plastic bags as garbage is the biggest issue.
“Our membership will have a difficult time participating in a plan that eliminates our product,” Kenny told the commissioners.
With that said, commissioners reworded their goal so the word “eliminate” was no longer part of the sentence.
Jeanne Lear of South Tahoe Refuse said her company is talking to Trex, which makes pseudo wood products out of recycled plastic at its Fernley plant.
Right now grocery stores have bins for people to recycle plastic bags that are then picked up by their respective companies. (STR will separate them out if people put them in the blue bags for recycling.) The refuse company may create a route where it would pick up the bags at the stores, then assemble them to be delivered to Trex.
Ashley Richardson, a senior at STHS, said students have talked about the idea of having bins to recycle plastic bags in parking lots. People could load their goods in their vehicle and then dispose of the bag right away.
The way the commission is going to get the words “reuse, reduce, recycle“ out are through advertising; social media and existing websites; signs at businesses that distribute bags; partnering with agencies and interested individuals; and having booths at events.
The end result the commission would like is for the public to change its behavior when it comes to one-time use bags — to essentially eliminate them from their lives. Instead of plastic or paper being the question, the idea is the consumer would come with their own bag.
when will the city stop leaving that large blue plastic bag at my house once a week ???
Good job Kirsten and Tom and the rest of the commisioners.
David,
STR will stop leaving the blue bag when you stop using it! STR says they will seperate out recyclables, has anyone ever walked into the “seperating area” and seen the hugh pile of MISSED recyclables under the conveyor belt? STR talks but doesn’t walk!! We should all have reusable trash cans to put our recyclables in to which would then be picked up by a recycling trash truck, and not be mixed with all the other garbage.
American consumers look at things different.
Not to get anyone peed off here,I use the personal bags,I have 6.But there are times when I do shop at the local grocery stores buy 3 to 4 hundred worth goods.They won’t fit all items in my own bags, so I use the store type,makes no differences to me what they put things in as long as I get home with the goodies.They don’t tear dump items all over the place.
American is lazy,really.People here on these commissions know that.
Like what Steve mention ,the refuse company really doesn’t have the time to separate every recycle item.They are in the business to make the most profit for the least amount time to pay the workers.(American way)
Plus I’ve seen it for years with tourist,they don’t care what they throw out or where.They figure,hell I’m paying outrageous prices here they can clean up after me just like a restaurant.
This is the same thought about getting a nickel for a returned pop bottle years ago. People didn’t care about a nickel, so they tossed them out the window driving down the highway.Same goes for these bags,hemp,plastic,paper,nylon.people don’t care.You be lucky to get 30% who cared compared to the other 70% who don’t.
People are AWARE of all the places to stuff their trash,including at home,office,but just don’t give a $@it!
Years ago when the refuse company started the mini places to take things,grocery stores parking lot,etc,people were into to. But a year later they all of a sudden they got too technical about where the cans were bought,your state tags gets you more cash from Ca.than Nev…and the work involved to keep all the stuff stored,in a winter environment became a hassle.
Until they can give you a fair return on the work one has to do,easy exchange,and for What the refuse company charges all us, People aren’t going to get involved,let the refuse company sort the stuff,that’s why we pay high bills they demand.I don’t really think ,Jeff and partner are hurting for money,they just what all us consumers pay for their new facility.
If there was another company that would give me more for my recycle trash ,I go to them instead, but we don’t have that option.
A good start would be to begin with the Federal Government and all those plastic census bags that blew everywhere a couple days ago when it was windy. I picked up 3 in the street today and threw in the trash. Who wants to make that phone call to the census bureau, telling them to stop their littering.
This issue continues to consume my every thought. Daily I wake up, trying on different color bags as shirts and skirts trying to do my part to recycle, reuse, reply….reply you say, yes reply to me when I talk to you Simon.
Bob, I totally agree with your points. Plastic bags have become so plentiful that I propose we begin using them as currency. 20 bags would equal roughly a nickel, depending on the strength of the Yen. But I suppose I am getting ahead of myself. You know how many bags (nickels) I can stuff into my pants pockets!?
Also, its funny to me the American Chemistry Council cares about plastic bags. Maybe they should try and focus on all the mishaps in high school chemistry class experiments that happen each and every year. One time I saw a guy get burned by a bunson burner. That was the same class where a glass beaker exploded when it touched white phosphorous.
We put a man on the moon. Old John Upton is still around !! Yet we can not invent a biodegradable plastic bag
Hey Alex – There ARE biodegradable plastic bags available! http://www.biobagusa.com/Consumer.htm
And Macoche, looks like ‘david’ is your typical lazy American, who can’t figure out what to do with FREE RECYCLING services. In North Lake Tahoe, we have to BUY our own blue bags (just like we have to buy our trash bags). The blue bag program is great, and good for lazy people, because everything is recycled in the same bag.
Joanna the Truckee Chick.
I recycle everything In a black bag .
The reason is, I have late night peasants tearing through looking for cans.MAKING A MESS I have to clean up.
We got a lot poor people living here at South Lake Tahoe,they now instead of looking in the black bag,they carry a stick beat on the bags listen for the tone of $$$cans$$$ !
It’s sad that people really have to look for eating money this way.
The state of the economy is beyond Bad.
We need to learn how to recycle Jobs to American Soil.