A couple of months ago, I heard in the news that the city of San Francisco banned the traditional plastic grocery bags. This petroleum made non-recyclable and non-biodegradable plastic bags, can escape the waste stream, creating litter and endangering wildlife. Following this decision, small northeastern Manitoba town, Leaf Rapids, bans plastic bags.
Also, don't forget that as I mentioned before, San Francisco is the "Zero Waste role model" for GVRD. It makes me wonder if for GVRD banning plastic bags would be in the list of things t0 do.
It also makes me wonder how it would turn out, if GVRD or one of the municipalities propose such idea? I am curious to know if all municipalities would even consider this plan, since some of them don't even have a recycling program?!
Would banning plastic bags increase and improve sustainability in our city? Is it possible to have urbanization and sustainability happening at the same time? Is it possible to be the "the best city to live in", and have no waste management problems? Is it possible to be a growing city and have no worries about the waste? Is it possible to be hosting the Olympics but have no concerns about where the construction and solid waste is gonna go?
By the way, Where IS the waste going?
2 comments:
Sorry to be depressing, but here's a link to a recent article in Orion magazine that investigates where all those plastic bags really end up... in the ocean.
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/270/
To summarize the article - In the ocean, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces until it mixes with sand, but does not, of course biodegrade. A giant whirlpool in the horse latitudes is now known among oceanographers as the "Pacific Garbage Patch". We already know the dangers plastic bags pose to wildlife.
In the spirit of local waste reduction, I have tried to cut down on my own plastic bag use and at least recycle the plastic bags I can't help getting (in the form of bread bags, etc.). Mostly what these effors have taught me is that an enormous quantity of plastic bags find their way into my house even if I refuse plastic bags at the grocery store. Virtually all processed foods seem to come in some form of plastic - sometimes several useless layers of wrapping.
Sure, I think Vancouver should ban plastic grocery bags. It would be a good start. I have no idea how to tackle the related problem of gratuitous plastic packaging for food and consumer goods.
P.S. You probably have lots to write about already, but I wonder what your thoughts are on how to increase the use of composting in Vancouver. A lot of what we throw away could be composted, with the right initiatives... more community gardens with compost capacity? curbside pickup? http://www.compost.org
Venessa,
Absolutely ignorant of me, but I just saw your message as I was browsing through my weblog and checking out what i have done for this so far...
You had two very interesting comments, thank you. Composting I think is the way or the only way to do, to increase the massive amount of waste production. Plastic bags are also as you said a major problem. People like you do make a difference.
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