No plastic — no problem in South Lake Tahoe
By Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe residents are coping with less plastic – at least for now.
Grocery stores in the city had to stop providing single-use plastic bags to customers starting Jan. 15 per an ordinance that was approved last fall. Other stores and restaurants in town must comply with the ordinance beginning Oct. 15.
The city is one of more than 80 in the state that has banned the disposable bags. Los Angeles did the same earlier this month. It is estimated that more than 100 billion of these bags are used in the United States each year. Opponents to them cite environmental degradation even though it requires more energy to produce and deliver paper bags. Time magazine recently said, “One study found that a cotton tote must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.”
Grocery Outlet used to only have those single-use bags available. Not anymore. Now a thicker reusable plastic bag is available for 10 cents, paper for 5 cents or a thicker bag with the store’s name on it for 99 cents. About 1,000 of the logo bags have been given away by the store in the last few weeks.
Grocery Outlet provides a gentle reminder for those who left reusable bags in their vehicle. Photo/LTN
Mike Schouten, owner of the local Grocery Outlet, said about 75 percent of the people coming in were aware of the ban. He added that for the most part everyone was fine with not having the former plastic bags available.
Mariena Esposito had no bags when she left the store. As she was placing the individual items from her cart into her vehicle she admitted she forgets to bring her reusable bags with her.
Esposito is hearing older people who are more set in their ways are upset with the ban. One man leaving the store pointed to his Grocery Outlet bag in his cart and said, “It’s ridiculous man. You have to pay for that, too.”
At Safeway, Mark McCarthy opted for the free paper bag. But that’s not his first choice.
“I need the plastic bags for recycling. I guess I’ll have to get Glad Hefty bags,” McCarthy said.
“There are dozens of cities and counties with various versions of a bag ban. We see these as very positive. We are certainly concerned about protecting our environment and reducing the number of single-use bags in the waste stream,” Keith Turner, director of public and governmental affairs for Safeway, told Lake Tahoe News. “We anticipate that the change will go smoothly, as employees are versed on the new rules.”
Safeway has logo bags for sale for $1.49. Those with a store discount card can get one free until Jan. 31 for every $25 that is spent. There is a three-bag limit on freebies.
Cindy Littell had her goods in one of those bags. It will add to the collection of more than a half dozen she has at home. She’s glad the town has caught up with other areas that ban bags.
“It’s a good thing. (Bags) will still be there (decomposing) when I’m long dead and gone,” Jeff Garvin said as he was leaving Raley’s at the Y.
Raley’s was giving out logo bags to the first 500 customers on Wednesday. Otherwise they are 99 cents. A little more heavy-duty ones sell for $1.99. Paper bags are 5 cents.
Lead clerk April Kirkhuff told Lake Tahoe News about 35 percent of customers already use reusable bags.
Asked if she thought it would be more of a problem with tourists who may not have read about the ban, especially with this being a three-day weekend, she said, “I think tourists will pay the 5 cents and not really think twice abut it. If they have enough money to go on vacation in Tahoe, 5 cents isn’t anything.”
While the stores are complying with the law, the city is not putting any effort into enforcing it.
“The city has no staff assigned for code enforcement on this issue,” City Manager Nancy Kerry told Lake Tahoe News. “The council gave clear direction they were not interested in taking coercive methods with compliance. They wanted a friendly approach.”
Folks realize this is a GOOD ordinance, and even tho us older folks forget to bring in our accumulated bags (I have at least 10 from Trader Joes) — I will either pay for the bag or go without and load it into a bag already in my car. Sometimes I just can’t seem to get re-trained to bring the bag from my car into the store… so I improvise.
FYI – for places like Hawaii — this is a WONDERFUL ordinance. I have pics of the thousands of plastic bags blowing from the land-fill — which ultimately end up in our ocean.
If a man states, “It’s ridiculous, you have to pay for that, too.” Then he has a problem. K. Reed , you are not seeing that this does cause some people a problem. Just because the problem is not recognized by you, it doesn’t mean there is no problem. I’m saying that if 25 % of the people have a problem, then that’s a problem. Before this ban, I don’t think there was any people with a problem. A headline here reading ” SOME PROBLEMS, MARK THE FIRST DAY OF BAN” would be more appropriate. The 10 cent new plastic bags will be reused, perhaps an average of 5 times, then tossed into the garbage. They will make their way into the landfills. I see that these bags contain far more plastic than the disposable bags of yesterday. Except for taking away what many people liked, (free bags) I don’t see anything accomplished by the change. Could it be that the bag companies have cleverly pushed this political agenda to create more profits ? Perhaps that’s what’s going on here .
Restaurants or eating establishments are exempt from the ordinance according to the city attorney as discussed in the meeting held in November.
I think the best part of this ban is every one up here thinks we are saving what? We ship our trash to Carson people. Raleys and Safeway just shipped all of their unused bags down there. You have accomplished nothing. Same bags same dump.
This is a good thing. We’ve been using the same reusable bags for more than 5 years and it isn’t all that difficult to do. Maybe now I won’t need to pick up plastic bags from the side of the road and from forested areas every time I take my dog for a walk.
Just one more reason not to shop on the California side of the stateline.
I think every time I take my dog out for his duty,I will just have to kick the dirt over his poop,I wont have to pick it up with plastic bags any more,problem solved,
Safeway has the answer free paper. They hold more and don’t rip. So much for the spotted owl.
Yes, it is a good thing. Save the oceans from the plastic that is choking our planet. Any plastic that can be kept out of the Pacific Trash Vortex is a step in the right direction. It is very selfish to complain you don’t have access to free bags. If you need plastic bags buy them yourself. If you are not happy please do stay in Nevada, we don’t need your pollution in CA. The bags sold at pet stores for dog waste biodegrade at a much faster rate. Every Spring my wife and I clean the trash from the vacant lots on our street. It would be nice not to have to pick up so many plastic bags. The city got this one right. The only problem is no enforcement.
Kathy if you WERE one of the few actually picking up your dog poop, thanks for your efforts until now. There is dog poop lying everywhere in my neighborhood, and it is utterly disgusting… but hey why pick up after your own animal now that you have an excuse to join the ranks of the lazy in just leaving your dog’s feces lying around. This article is a reminder to me how lazy we are as a society, too much trouble to use a bag we already own…..pretty pathetic. I’m MORE than happy to do my part, to me that is what makes me a good citizen. What’s the big deal?
Well, I guess I’ll just start buying plastic bags for dog / kitty poop when my stash of plastic shopping bags runs out.
All the trash from So.Shore gets trucked down to the Lockwood Landfill outside of Sparks. So theres really nothing gained with a plastic bag ban, just more money out of pocket for the people who re-use plastic bags for a variety of uses, animal waste, packin’a lunch, pickin’ up the mail at the P.O., wet swimsuit after a day in the lake and maybe if your lucky a few trout.
Using cloth bags is no big deal, I been doing it for years( I stiil have my old cloth bags from Luckys). Oh well no big whup, it’s just a plastic bag. Kathy, clean up after your dog when your out walking Fido, I don’t want to step in it, LOL. …OLS
Good and Bad.
Today technology exists that will shortly eliminate landfills. Plastic is actually one content of trash that provides income for trash companies, in an environmentally safe way. The plastic, along with all trash can now be processed and turned into safe growth enhancement formula for plants. This Muncher technology will shortly be installed in the Middle East to assist in the cleanup of several landfills on the shoreline.
http://www.ecospheresciences.com
Another technology will be installed in Los Angeles later this year. This technology was developed in Germany that processes trash converting it into Diesel, oil, and chemicals. All sold to divert the expense of handling trash. This new closed system does not use high temperature-incineration technology, does not release dioxins, and is environmentally friendly.
Hopefully both of these new technologies will eliminate a great deal of pollution and landfills. While being cost effective to waste companies and municipalities.
There is a great deal of value in trash and now the technology exists to tap that value safely.
anyone out for a hike has noticed the genius of the feces-laden plastic bag carefully deposited next to the trail.
Strange how many people find plastic bags to pick-up. I pick trash almost every day when I walk my dog. Lots of large beer cans, Taka vodka and water bottles hardly ever a plastic bage. Still don’t understand how plastic bags from Tahoe end up in the ocean? Reminds me of the “clean your plate there are starving children in India” line my parents used.
Seven Eleven should have an employee patrol the area around the store on hwy 89. It seems like the bulk of their to go food containers end up on the ground.
no more island of plastic floating in the Lake.
wait that’s Green Gack coming out of the Tahoe Keys not plastic
I have already talked to some tourist up here and everyone of them were not happy about having to pay more for bags, as one said just a way to get into our pockets. This was why I was against this all along because the tourist will not feel welcome. This ban is just a joke made possible by people who think they know what is best for everyone, the environmental movement is just costing you real money WAKE UP. If you do not want to use plastic bags so be it, but don’t tell me what I have to do. I have been in Tahoe longer than most of you have been alive and know how to take care of this wonderful place all by myself. Feel better I got that off my chest time to go *&^% in the lake.
I, too, was having a hard time remembering to bring my cloth bags into the grocery store. Two things have helped me remember 1)I forced myself to go back out to the car–even in the snow–to get the bags if I forgot them. It doesn’t take too much of this to get you to remember and 2)I keep them on the front seat of my car.
It becomes like any routine.
I was on vacation in “the bay area” and was faced with a bag ban. Didn’t make me feel unwelcome. Made me feel like I was in a town that was trying to reduce the amount of plastic sent to the land fill.
The signs out front to remember my reusable bags are great. I inevitably have to go back to my car, but its totally worth it.
to the dog owners – get some mutt mitts at the dollar store. or grab one at the trail head. and take them with you after you use em! easy peasy
Lots of interesting comments here.
‘paper bags don’t rip’
‘i am old. i know everything’
‘i am going to go (make whoopee) in the lake’
Our town is full of ‘special’ people.
For all the whiners out there that think they are too special to have to make a better choice than getting plastic shopping bags, well whine on…its one of the easiest things you might have to change in your life. And please pickup your dogs mess any way you can. Its your responsibility, even if you have to drop a few bucks on poop bags. Really…
Local shoppers can still get the plastic bags in the the fresh produce department which are fine for pet waste disposal. There are also numerous grocery items that come in plastic bags such as bread, potatoes and frozen veggies to name just a few. Some minor effort may be required to re-purpose some of these for personal use but they are free with the purchase of the food that comes in them. Pretending that caring for our environment is some sort of scam to control your life and steal your money is pathetic selfishness. Some people DO need to be told what to do and bans like this and for things like cigarette smoking etc. are necessary for the entire community’s well-being. No wonder it’s so hard to get people to face up to the fact that fossil fuels must be replaced by renewables when something as simple as this produces such infantile whining.
Folks shopping at Trader Joe’s in the Bay area are accustomed to bringing in their own empty bag(s), handing them to the cashier who then hangs each on a special holder and fills them with purchases. It works out very well and is no hassle whatsoever. Hopefully Tahoe shoppers will be able to figure out the same easy procedure, it’s neither complicated nor complex.
This ban seems to be a solution in search of a problem, at least in Tahoe.
It is hard to understand how plastic bags from Tahoe end up in the Pacific plastic patch. Plastic bags make up substantially less than one percent of the stream to the landfill, so other avenues to reduce the stream would be more effective. There may be a litter problem with the bags, but I haven’t seen it here in Tahoe.
I was trying to find a source of replacement, reusable, bags on the Internet. The cheap woven polyethylene bags are made in China and at least some of them contain lead in the decorative logos. The reviews indicate that they wear out pretty fast. We are going to look at Trader Joe’s. I seem to remember that they have some sturdy cloth bags for a reasonable price.
My understanding is that the law, here in Tahoe, does not require a charge for paper bags. I am very annoyed that Raley’s has taken this opportunity to increase profits by charging for what formerly was provided free. They are saving the costs of the plastic bags and making money off the paper bags. I have committed to never buying a bag at Raley’s.
A statewide ban might make more sense. I have seen a major problem with the bags littering in urban areas.
Maybe someone could invent a solution for dog doo bags. I imagine the landfills full of plastic bags full of dog doo, standing the test of time, and not decomposing, whereas if the doo was out of the bag, buried in some dirt, I would imagine it would decompose in less than 6 months. Maybe a dog doo transfer device, then you could have a couple rotating spots in your yard to bury it in, or just leave it on the trails, and let shoes disperse it ;) lol
“The city has no staff assigned for code enforcement on this issue,” City Manager Nancy Kerry told Lake Tahoe News. “The council gave clear direction they were not interested in taking coercive methods with compliance. They wanted a friendly approach.”
And completely in opposition to the approach taken with the parking…
Well, this should make the Pro 18th Century folks happy since the plastic bag wasn’t invented until the 1960’s. Cloth bags are what we use.
“The city has no staff assigned for code enforcement on this issue…The council gave clear direction they were not interested in taking coercive methods with compliance. They wanted a friendly approach.”
Give it time. A new code enforcement officer position could be filled just for this one task!
It would be nice if Raley’s would at least place a mat down where the bag stands use to be. The dirt and bag stand stains on the stainless steel are unhealthy. You would think they would of thought of that in advance.
@arod
“If you are not happy please do stay in Nevada, we don’t need your pollution in CA.”
What a joke! Your clean Californian way is to ship your trash to Nevada.
@ the rest of you
Please tell me how a bag in Tahoe that goes to a sparks landfill affects the plastic in the ocean?
Wow, the ignorance out there is truly amazing.
Time to move on we should work on rationing toilet paper now.
Water next ;)
I’ll give up disposable grocery bags as soon as liberal parents give up on disposable diapers.
The amount of diapers in landfills is staggering, and growing too.
I hear you, Clinger. Kinda the way I feel about the ‘slow-growthers’ and their petition.
Soon as they stop having kids, then we can talk about building bans.
Today’s lesson in conservative logical fallacies will cover the false dichotomy.
Can anyone identify the false dichotomy in Bitter Clingers comment?
And not one to usually be late to the logical fallacy party… dawg can you define for us, ‘false dichotomy’ and since you seem to think it is a legitimate logical device, defend its use?
Homework due tomorrow by noon.
Need some more green logic.
STPUD is giving credits for removing turf but we just planted miles of it next to the lake
because it looks pretty along the bike trail.
Spend tens of millions making the high school green but expand the parking lot for a school with declining attendance.
I agree with the disposable diaper ban. Maybe get rid of the $3,000 per child tax credit. Why are we paying people to have children? They are destroying the planet right? Many if not most of them don’t pay income tax to start out with.
Maybe if these people spent more time picking up trash and less time lobbying for new laws the world would be a better place.
Let’s go back to glass bottles for pop, juice and milk, cloth diapers, paper wrapped meats, glass jars and paper bags. The old days!
Sunriser why should the people who are not stupid enough to be a part of the problem spend their time picking up after the stupid people?
Every time someone has to put my stuff in a plastic bag, I am being stupid. So I bring my own bags. Problem solved.
Our intuition is sometimes wrong about problems. It is annoying when people adopt the current environmental cause de jour without research to support their position.
There was an article published in Science (the premier science journal in the US) some time ago comparing cloth and disposable diapers. It turns out that disposable are better for the environment. IIRC the main factor was the environmental damage from washing the cloth diapers.
There was another article in the same publication comparing styrofoam and paper carry our containers and their respective environmental damage. Styrofoam actually won based on its recycling potential. Since it was actually not recycled because it was dirty, it was a tie. Current attempts to ban styrofoam ignore this research.
The point is that the current wisdom is not always true and should be questioned.
Rob, disposable diapers are an environmental time bomb. Every child born puts out enough disposable diapers to fill it’s living room from top to bottom, wall to wall, and they all end up in the landfill.
I’ll get behind the bag ban when politicians have the intestinal fortitude to ban disposable diapers.
And speaking of the environmental cause of the day, anybody remember that little compound commonly referred to as MTBE?
Perhaps the greatest environmental blunder of the late 20th century. Thankfully it’s gone now.
But the environmentalists piled onto that cause like there was no tomorrow without MTBE in motor vehicle fuel.
All this complaining about diapers, then stop having babies. Id much rather they end up in the landfill as It makes me sick to see dirty diapers thrown along side the road, about as disgusting as dog poop left for people to step in. People just need to take responsability for their choices. Thats what really needs to be done but there are so many irresponsable parents and dog owners out there. If you have to get a plastic bag for your groceries than it will cost you. Life is full of choices…ive got 10 cloths bags in my car that I reuse and its absolutly the easiest thing to do. I wash them often so there is no issue with bacteria. I got most of them at yard sales for hardly nothing. If all you whiners are so narrow minded about this simple issue the species of humans is doomed!