Marshall County Debates Rural Ban on Plastic Grocery Bags
June 19, 2008
By Tammy R. Lawson
MC Sun Staff Writer
We have all seen them wedged against a fence or blowing across the road-the ubiquitous plastic grocery bag-and the popular carry-all was the main topic at the Marshall County Board of Supervisors’ June 10th session.
Discussions were held with local citizens whether to eventually execute an ordinance that would ban non-compostable grocery bags used within the county. This ban would only affect two rural convenience stores outside of the city limits.
San Francisco was the first US city to enforce such a ban last November. If Marshall County was to follow through, it would be first in the state to do so. Other cities in California, Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon, Arizona, and Maryland have also considered similar bans on the infamous bag as well.
The discussion came amid growing concerns, one of which over 100 billion of the handy bags end up in America’s landfills each year. But instead of entering their trash-heap destination, many are becoming airborne to get caught in fences, trees, and power lines while also clogging the throats of wild animals, gutters, and sewers, not to mention the long-term environmental consequences.
“I’ve found bags that have blown into my corn field from who knows where,” Board member Ron Goecke said. “It’s getting out of hand.”
“I think an ordinance is unnecessary and it should be left up to the individual to decide if they want to use a plastic bag,” said local farmer Grant Upah, who was against any future proposal. “The government should stay out of this decision. On my farm, it’s not a big issue, and I can’t believe it’s a big issue on any other farm. We’ve got more important issues to deal with.”
Bag manufacturers prefer the plastic wonders because they cost only a penny per bag to produce, while many consumers prefer their ease of carrying items home from stores.
“I think all three of us on the Board have had people call us with a misunderstanding about what we’re doing,” said Board member Pat Brooks. “We’re only considering banning those with a petroleum base and this is only a discussion about it. We’re not here to ban all plastic bags.”
Bags are manufactured from crude oil, natural gas, or other petrochemical derivatives which are transformed into molecules known as polymers or polymer resin. After being heated, shaped, and cooled, the plastic is ready to be printed for merchant distribution.
But that’s a misnomer, according to Phil Rozenski, Director of Environmental Strategies for Hilex Poly LLC, a manufacturer of plastic bag products based in St. Louis, Missouri. “Plastic bags aren’t made from petroleum…they’re made from natural gas. It’s one of the biggest misconceptions out there on the internet.”
He continued, “Ninety one percent less energy is used to recycle a plastic bag than a paper bag, so we have an energy offset with the plastic bags.”
Clair Long of Marshalltown said he didn’t feel the plastic grocery bags were that much of a problem. “I’ve seen some, of course, and we expect to see some but we do reuse the plastic bags and recycle.”
Resident Mary Stewart stated in a written letter that the Board of Supervisors was to be commended for their concern over use of the bags in convenience stores rurally. “These bags pollute the environment while providing a danger to habitat and wildlife in the area.”
Environmentalists have rallied against their use for years because they are difficult to recycle and take anywhere from 400 to 1000 years to decompose, whether in landfills or your local farm land.
Melbourne resident Linda Barnes said she was a biologist who would support a proposal if one was brought forth. “On our farm, we encounter a great number of plastic bags caught in fruit trees, fence lines, and Iowa is the most altered state in the nation. We have less original eco-system than any other state and it would be nice if Marshall County could make a simple statement.”
“All this would be is a statement because we’re only affecting two businesses,” said Chairman Gordie Johnson, “but it is a starting point as to say we do care.”
“Why have we have not, as a county, embraced the efforts of the city?” asked Curt Loney. “There aren’t any city personnel here and they should be very interested. If you get the city into this, there are lots of areas we can work together on, and this is a big one.”
“We talked with the city about this several months ago, and we delivered a copy of this [proposal] so they could see our efforts,” Brooks said. “I hope the city will do something, but it has to be something that makes sense and accommodates everyone.”
There was no word if or when the issue would receive future discussion, but it’s safe to say the cat’s out of the bag, and it’s not a paper one.
