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Not content to make owning a dog just a little bit more difficult, Ross Mirkarimi now wants to make it even tougher to scoop sh--. It turns out that his anti-plastic bag measure is just the start of his rampant war against plastic and wants to move onto those plastic bags that are wrapped around a newspaper when they show up on your doorstep.
What will dog owners do now?
Currently, the little plastic bags aren't biodegradable but can be recycled-- it's just that it's really hard to get them recycled. Or, at least this is true of Chron as we don't know how it works with other papers, some local, some not. It would be interesting, for example, to see what the mighty NY Times would do if this all comes to pass.
Mirkarimi adds that in the coming months he hopes to study how many paper bags are generated by other things that aren't grocery stores and pharmacies (fun!) and then make some decisions about what else to ban. That includes restaurants, among other things.
Oh, remember what we said about most people being on board? William Saletan gives it a thumbs up on Slate.com and Wonkette sort of does too. Or at least doesn't snark on it. We can't, however, say it's true of the commentor who writes:
"As a native San Franciscian, I'm just glad that I'll still be able to get plastic bags at the small, all-organic, vegan, wiccan grocery store across from my apartment to carry the smug sense of self-satisfaction all the way back to my kitchen because paper just won't do.
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Yup, ban 'em. I don't need those hundreds of little blue bags that the NY Times comes in. They can be recycled? How? Where?
Dog Owners - why can't they go to the pet store and buy those little poop bags (which can presumably be made biodegradable too). Where in the constitution does it say that society must provide them with free plastic bags?
Ugh. Doesn't the Board of Supervisors have anything better to do than debate the merits of plastic baggies?
As for recycling bags, I just take my extra bags over my local Cala Foods store, where they have a big bin right inside the door for recycling the things. Not sure where they go after that.
I predict an increase in sales for the grocery stores and drug stores in Daly City and Colma...doesn't the BOS have more important stuff to work on, like crime and homelessness?
As everyone knows, annoyed, crime and homelessness have been entirely solved in SF, and particularly so in Supervisor Mirkarimi's own Western Addition, which but for the plastic bags littering our otherwise pristine streets is a veritable paradise on earth.
As everyone knows, annoyed, crime and homelessness have been entirely solved in SF, and particularly so in Supervisor Mirkarimi's own Western Addition, which but for the plastic bags littering our otherwise pristine streets is a veritable paradise on earth.
You'd rather drive to Daly City to get groceries than use paper, canvas, or biodegradable plastic bags? Seriously? Over an issue that is so unimportant that it's worth your time to post on a blog about its unimportance?
This all strikes me as a little unlikely. In a couple years every major city will have done this, and life will go on exactly as before, only a little less oil will be used and landfills will be a little less full. Jeebus, why be all selfish and reactionary over something so small and reasonable?
They're called Bio-bags and you can get them at Walgreens, Rainbow, and any hardware store. They're dark colored.
Who even uses clear or white plastic bags to pick up dog shit? It's gross, you can see it through the bag! Plus, they're too thin, I can feel the hot poop!
Bio-bags. They're worth their weight in gold.
Oh and they're bio-degradable, made of corn, hence the "bio" part of the name.
When we're not busy getting shot at in the Western Addition we like to complain about all the trash on the streets.
You'd rather drive to Daly City to get groceries than use paper, canvas, or biodegradable plastic bags? Seriously?
Indeed. The idea that people would drive out of town to get groceries and things in plastic bags is ridiculous. Probably these same folks said that businesses would be ruined, and restaurants would move out of state, because of a styrofoam ban.
I completely agree with what bluecanary said above. Why would you use a non-biodegradeable plastic bag for scooping up your pet's poo, it's like preserving it for a 1000 years!
Word on the BioBags. The same company also makes food bags for compost, lawn and leaf bags (for you lucky bastards with actual lawns), and kitchen bags. I'm a fan.
They are just switching to biodegradable plastic bags. Why is everyone freaking out? Can you not carry groceries in a biodegradable bag? Can you not pick up dog crap in one?
Why is SFist pushing the anti-environmental line on this?
No one will even notice.
They are just switching to biodegradable plastic bags. Why is everyone freaking out? Can you not carry groceries in a biodegradable bag? Can you not pick up dog crap in one?
Why is SFist pushing the anti-environmental line on this?
No one will even notice.
MJ said:
"They are just switching to biodegradable plastic bags. Why is everyone freaking out? Can you not carry groceries in a biodegradable bag? Can you not pick up dog crap in one?"
INDEED. i think people just read headlines and don't bother reading the actual articles that go with them. people are making such a big deal out of nothing. the real big deal here is that we're going to be using less landfill space, shit will biodegrade, and more businesses will be forced to adopt more sustainable business practices. and let's not even get into all the OIL used for those precious plastic bags. feel like going to iraq anytime soon?
When did SFist get overrun by all of these haters? For those of you who are pro-global warming and aren't interested in helping the environment, there's a fiscal case for getting rid of plastic bags:
"City officials estimate that they spend $8.5 million annually to deal with plastic bag litter—that equates to roughly 17 cents for every bag distributed in the city."
And if any of you are implying that Mirkarimi hasn't been working to address crime, you aren't paying attention. Police foot patrols, enhancements to the First Source Hiring program, an expanded reentry program for ex-offenders . . . the list goes on.
Mirkarimi is proving that Peter Ragone is once again wrong: he can walk and chew gum and ban plastic bags at the same time.
Don't you dare mess with my newspaper plastic bags - the ones I use for dog poop. Happy to get my groceries in paper bags, but Mirkarimi will rue the day he messes with the needs of the dogsters...
Does this apply to the Examiner bags? I have a small dog and can use sandwich bags. I am all for the canvas bags.
Well, I gotta admit that I am glad my newspaper was in a bag when it was delivered outdoors and raining like crazy. Bags around newspapers are otherwise a waste.
Good for Sup. Mirkarimi getting this done - lotsa Supervisors talk and talk, but don't get anything done to truly help the environment.