Austin City Council approves March 2013 single-use bag ban

Comments

• Much Ado About Nothing

  I'm jumping into the discussion pretty late, but just having recieved the new delivery of "Community Impact" I read some of the most myopic comments on this subject just underneath the "From the Manager" section. That drew my attention to the site and now I feel compelled to respond.
  When I first heard about the bag ban, it wasn't even a blip on my radar. When it went into effect, the only thing that changed for me was making sure to stash a few bags in our vehicles. It's really not that inconvenient. The only reason we even keep a few in our vehicles is so that if we have a grocery store run on a whim (we are already out driving). When we know we're going shopping, we just grab the bags we have in the house. You know, kind of the same way you grab your wallet and keys.
  Taking your business elsewhere just because you're upset with having to take your own bags? Cost of gas over a year's worth of driving outside of the bag ban limits versus, a few bucks now to cover you for a year of going local. I think you'll find you're coming up short by taking a stand against your perceived injustice. That is completely asinine. If you have the bucks to pony up to the gas pump more often than needed, you surely have a few bucks to throw more than enough bags to cover your needs under you counter.
  One of the comments published in the print edition was how these bags will gather germs. They will, just like anything that you use frequently. However, common sense would dictate that if you have something that is dirty, you clean it. The majority of the reusable bags for purchase do have a tag somewhere on them with a little blurb about care and cleaning. Not much to it, clean with warm soapy water and allow to dry. Voila! Clean bags.
  I've heard a lot of negative comments about the ban and the "oppressive" nature of having to purchase reusable bags, but in the end, it really isn't a life changing event. It's an easy way to reduce waste. Instead of taking a Chicken Little the sky is falling approach, just carry on. Just carry on.

  Posted by Alix Hernandez March 27, 2013 21:21:13

• Love it

  Well done Austin, I hope Colorado will follow your great example.

  Posted by Danni Ross March 27, 2013 17:23:11

• Supply Bags for Free

  Seems like the consumer is being charged to shop. I believe the ban has useful reason & I completely respect the fight to keep our city as green as possible. I don't believe in charging people money for these bags, these maybe affordable but some people are struggling to even buy their groceries & now they struggle for their groceries & the bags that carry the groceries home. Other people forget to have the bags with them but then you will be charged again for plastic bags or people have to waste time & gas to go back home to get their forgotten bags & go to a store that they could of just stopped into as they pass in their daily routes. I believe if you have plastic bags in your home already, reuse them. I use my old grocery bags for nearly everything... packing things to go places, cleaning out my cat's litter box, or even just bringing them back to the store to be recycled. The city/stores need to provide people with at least 5 reusable bags. We spend enough money on the economic raised priced products these stores carry & our taxes to this city.

  Posted by Shannon Luckey February 27, 2013 11:34:02

• why paper bags?

  The use of paper bags are not even better than those of plastic bags. Paper bags are available by chopping down the trees which are extremely important for us and for the earth. Recycling the paper and plastics also needs huge energy which is also derived from fossil fuel, and then produce emission (CO2). This situation is not actually a matter of taking out everyone's privilege or rights, this is a matter of saving our precious earth. We are living in the same earth, let's show our contribution in preserving it for the unborn generation.

  Posted by eka sarjana April 11, 2012 08:07:44

• This is all nonsence

  What if I take my own plastic bags to reuse? And I agree Vicki, why are paperbags being banned as well!
  

  Posted by Ashley March 28, 2012 09:13:54

• Bags

  Looks like an opportunity for someone to sell stacks of one time use bags that you can bring with you shopping. They should be pretty cheap and will circumvent the wackos. I wonder if stores outside of Austin will sell their bags for use inside Austin. Black market bags anyone? Back alley bag dealers? Will possession of undocumented bags become a felony?

  Posted by Opportunity March 25, 2012 11:01:52

• Bag Ban Approval "Non-Sense"

  Can some0one please tell me the huge benefit of taking a privilege away from the people. Why do we fight so hard to maintain our freedom of choice if we are going to have a select group take it away. Now we are not only being regulated by the federal government but by the state and local governments. Isn't this something every entrepreneur fights!!!! Why all of a sudden are they agreeable. Is it the fee generating revenue or the pocketable savings of not providing the bags coupled with the additional income derived from making people buy the green bags. Who would of thought about this. Let's take civil rights away and make more money for ourselve!!! As a shopper, I am being cheated!!!! I pay for the bags everytime I go shopping. costs of goods are included in with the retail prices. Why not provide free green bags for the first year. Give the customers enought time to accummulate 100 -200 bags to carry around in their vehicles so they won't forget them and reuse them. Hmmm something to think about!!!!!

  Posted by Oralia Huggins March 24, 2012 March 24, 2012 17:49:19

• WHY PAPER BAGS??

  Has anyone heard WHY PAPER bags were included in the ban? They are biodegradable!!! THAT part of the ban makes NO sense.

  Posted by Vicki March 22, 2012 12:42:33

• emergency bag fee

  It seems that one of the biggest questions left to those that support the ban is that of where emergency bag fee will go. May i put it out there that when you excessively tax someone for environmental reasons, you should use that resource to fund environmental interests. It should go to the city, HEB doesn't need the resource, but it should be strictly controlled in an account that can only be used for environmental purposes. Use the movement to continue the movement,as it were.
  

  Posted by RyRy March 07, 2012 01:02:17

• Reusable Bag Choice

  My choice for reusable shopping bags are the bags which are being banned. For reuse as trash liners and kitty litter wrappers, they are the lightest weight, lowest waste, and least expensive alternate to Hefty/Glad trash liners. Plus you can't really use Hefty/Glad bags as shopping bags, which are single use.
  
  I don't mind buying the banned bags and taking my own supply to the store for groceries, then reusing them as usual for trash and a number of other uses. It's a minor change. Maybe the retailers can start stocking them on the plastic trash liner aisle. I guess we could ask them. If they can't stock them, then they're easy enough to order online.

  Posted by AustinTaxPayer March 04, 2012 14:09:00

• Austin City Council approves March 2013 single-use bag ban

  Hmm, maybe it's time to stop shopping in Austin. As in many ultraliberal and Socialist cities, Austin is proposing a 'solution' to a problem that doesn't exist. Ridiculous -- again!

  Posted by Robert E. Lee March 03, 2012 11:36:16

• Good News

  I think the issue in Austin is that we have already tried to implement the recycling of single use bags rather than reducing their use and it did not work. The containers provided to place used plastic bags are treated like trash cans rather than recycling bins. I understand that plastic bags can be used as trash can liners, kitty litter disposal,etc but currently we are being given more plastic bags than we could possibly reuse. I am personally glad about the ban of single use bags, but I am curious about the emergency bag fee and where those funds will go.

  Posted by Sonny Chaidez March 03, 2012 11:00:23

• Austin Texas Bag Ban- The Good and the Bad

  
  A couple of good things about Austin's bag ban. All of us who live in the suburbs owe a big "Thank you" to the Austin City Council (Nuts) for giving shoppers such a big incentive not to shop within the city limits. It will without doubt increase the sales and sales tax revenue in the suburbs many of us live in.
  The second benefit, to those of us on a budget. When we are forced to shop in the city of Austin it will help us reduce our impulse buying. My purchases, if not limited by the money I have to spend, will absolutely be limited by the size of the bag I have with me. Retailers spend a lot of money setting up their stores to get us to grab a few extra things as we pass through the store. Thank you, Austin City Council Geniuses, for this new weapon, limited bag size, to help me fight the evil retailers who are trying to increase their sales, and support their employees, by getting me to spend a little extra as I stroll through their stores.
  I got stuck in line yesterday behind a couple who, obviously environmentally conscience had brought their own bags. It was not pretty. Those of us in line behind them had to wait while they unfolded and fumbled with their bags. The cashier’s system of quickly scanning and bagging the purchased items was completely disrupted. Henry Ford would have been horrified with the break down in efficiency. (And would probably have suggested standard bags supplied by retailers to speed things up).
  Obviously I do not like the bag ban. To me it is an example of how a liberal minority forces radical ideas on the Moderate/Conservative Majority. It shows what can happen when a handful of people have been given too much power. Without that power most of these nonsense policies would never see the light of day. And this is just the most recent example of ridiculous policies the council has imposed on the people of Austin. Unfortunately, I must admit, the City Council is a group of elected people. Austin has consistently elected a Liberal City Council. Admittedly, this is hard for a moderate like me to understand. I guess the liberals believe we need rules like this to know how to live and to protect the ‘delicate’ world we live in.
  Something as large scale as this, affecting as many people as this does, should be voted on by the people. This policy would not have a chance of passing, even in Austin.
  Anybody know a good place to take juggling lessons?

  Posted by Jerry Terry March 03, 2012 10:51:19

• Good for Austin!

  I'm sure there will be some minor inconveniences as we make this transition - but I totally think they are worth it. Moving on to the next phase of more responsible planetary stewardship - it's about time. Thanks Austin City Council!

  Posted by KaiaMaeve March 03, 2012 07:22:58

• Re: Incredulous

  So incredulous that you couldn't read the article? Dry cleaners are exempt.
  
  Complain in the short term, benefit (and get used to it) in the long term.
  
  Remember when the smoking ordinance was controversial?

  Posted by Derek March 03, 2012 04:33:22

• Wow

  You guys are obviously not reading the text here...
  
  @ Incredulous:
  "There are a few exceptions to the ban, such as plastic bags used at dry cleaners..."
  
  @Sivartk:
  Did you do *any* research into whether or not this affects drive-thru paper bags? I am sure it doesn't.
  
  Now that that's out of the way, congratulations to the City of Austin for taking a *huge* leap forward.

  Posted by Christian Bradley March 02, 2012 21:40:32

• Did they think this through?

  I am not opposed to the ban, but I am curious if they thought this through.
  
  They did say dry cleaners are exempt from the ban, but what about things like take out? Will people really be expected to take a reusable bag to pick up their Chinese food?
  
  One of many unintended consequences will be people having to purchase bags for the disposal of things like kitty litter.

  Posted by Ysmay March 02, 2012 19:28:21

• No more cooking

  This ban will be great for restaurants and surrounding towns that don't have bans. If I don't cook, I don't have to shop. Would still like to know why I can not use brown paper bags with handles for recycling yard clippings but must instead use gas to drive to a store and buy special brown paper bags. Can't wait for election time.

  Posted by Love FastFood March 02, 2012 18:45:14

• Easy solution

  Easy solution for me. I won't shop within Austin city limits. Or I'll take a huge box and put everything in it. If I wanted to shop somewhere that has no bags, I'd go to Sam's club or Costco.
  
  So, no bags at the drive through? Greasy burger on your front seat? Yeah, that will go over well.

  Posted by sivartk March 02, 2012 15:57:58

• Bag Ban?

  HEB supports the bag ban? Unlikely since they are the source of most of the bags. If HEB supports the ban then why don't they implement it themselves in San Antonio?

  Posted by Steven Shepard March 02, 2012 15:05:25

• Bad decision

  I guess the next time I go to buy a suit, I'll have to take my garment bag? Really? Not well thought out at all. This is ridiculous.

  Posted by Incredulous March 02, 2012 14:48:29

• Bags

  The current paper & plastic bags aren't single use. i use the paper bags as trash can liners and as a container for my recycling. The plastic ones I use for a variety of things trash can liners, kitty litter disposal, etc

  Posted by Mike Oxlong March 02, 2012 13:46:54