Plastic Bag Ban

[Bullwinkle]

Or maybe we can add a requirement that plastic bags be stored in the soon to be mandated wind proof hurricane room to keep them out of the environment - 2 birds with one legislative stone.....

http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/sect...codes.html

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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Originally posted by DTisme

I'm with Obie.

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DItto.

[DanielP]

The volume of packaging of individual items far outweighs those bags. I am astounded by the amount of packaging that I throw away when I return from Home Depot. That stuff should be taxed.

Dan

[OrchidIslander]

quote:

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Originally posted by Obie

MYTH: Plastic bags are a major source of litter, and banning or taxing bags will reduce litter.

TRUTH: Plastic bags make up less than one percent of all litter.

Since plastic bags are responsible for less than 1% of all litter, banning or taxing them will have no impact.

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Obie, I'm not sure where you got the plastic bags make up less than one percent of all litter figure. For all I know, it could be true. But, if you are referencing that fact from the National Review online article that you hyperlinked in an earlier post, even the Review acknowledged that the source was perhaps a bit biased because the source was the director of marketing and sustainability for Hilex Poly, the largest plastic-bag manufacturer in the U.S.

Just a fact worth noting.

I'm still learning about plastic bags and their effect on the environment and their effect on us. From what I gather it is not so much about the percentage of bags as it relates to overall litter - but more about the damaging toxicity that they inflict.

Friends of mine involved in Environmental Studies at UH do heartily agree with you that we have been woefully inadequate in recycling and reusing plastic bags in a less odious nature.

I'm learning a lot about this subject, so thanks to you all...

[Bullwinkle]

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_18547665 good read on the issue - It always amazes me that in a time of short budgets, employment and gold at 1600 an ounce

The political focus is on plastic bags - grin

[james weatherford]

"one percent of all litter"

Is that by volume or weight?
It does make a difference in the trash business, where, for example, hauling and incinerating is done by weight and land-filling is done by volume.

Of course, the real importance regarding carryout plastic film bags is not about weight or volume, but about...
1. toxicity in the material;
2. ease of escape into the environment; and
3. local government being mandated by the state government to deal with trash and by the federal government as to how to deal with it, and there being so very little the local government can do to limit what trash they have to deal with...

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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Originally posted by Obie....
I believe my method of recycling and using those recycled products is better then an outright ban.
All of the decking and railings on my Lanai's are made from Trex like materials !!

http://www.trex.com/plan/why-trex/enviro.../index.htm

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And this is a key right here. If our plastic trash could be use for the mfg of structural members, we could lower wood usage and increase the reuse of recycled plastics as building materials. And if we had a mfg operation on the Big Island we could truly recycle instead of sending it off island.