This bodes the question: Why not? What's so hard about bringing your own bags to the store with you?
Are American consumers careless? Lazy? Each time they go to the grocery store don't they think about the implications associated with using plastic bags? Don't they know that every plastic bag they carry out the door will take hundreds, if not thousands of years, to biodegrade?Well, just last week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors made it so everyday Americans don't even have to lull over the decision "paper or plastic" anymore -- in fact, plastic will no longer be an option (in San Francisco). In a 10-to-1 vote, San Francisco legislators agreed to eliminate plastic bags as an option for customers in grocery and drug store chains making the city the first U.S. to pass such legislation. This landmark policy is one in a series of steps the city's leadership is taking to push its citizens toward greener living.
While San Francisco has chosen to address the issue of pollution caused by improper disposal (i.e. not recycling) plastic bags by creating a policy to eliminate them from widespread use, one must wonder: Will it make a difference in the mindset of the consumer? Will customers become frustrated by having one less choice (and one that was most efficient in terms of carrying lots of groceries fast and easily) or will they embrace the legislatively-mandated change with the understanding that its for a common good?
Are the environmental benefits worth the cost of convenience?
Honestly, I'm not sure if most San Franciscans will agree with the Board of Supervisors' ruling, but I do know that despite my efforts to contribute to the greater environmental good, 9 times out of 10, I forget to bring my pre-purchased, reusable canvas bag to the store with me.
