Portland Oregon Mayor pledges ban on plastic grocery bags

[depakid]

Facing five "bag monsters" and a sea of "ban the bag" T-shirts, Portland Mayor Sam Adams pledged Wednesday to eliminate ubiquitous slippery plastic bags from the city.

He declined to say when a prohibition on plastic grocery bags might start, but promised details in a draft ordinance to be released Friday.

Adams has talked for years about ridding the city of disposable shopping bags, but put it off, citing a down economy. His announcement Wednesday comes as state legislators in Salem say they have a deal with grocers for a statewide ban in 2011 that would take effect in 2012.

"We all know that single-use shopping bags are used for just a few minutes, but the negative impact on the environment lasts forever," Adams said at a boisterous noon rally outside City Hall sponsored by Environment Oregon and the Portland chapter of Surfrider Foundation.

Minutes before he addressed the crowd, five "bag monsters" -- people dressed up in plastic bag costumes -- had been dancing with a furry sasquatch and an upright fish. They cheered the mayor's anti-bag stance.

"We're nearing the end of the beginning," Adams said. "Onward!"

Environmental advocates would like a ban now from Oregon's largest and greenest city. A dozen U.S. cities have outlawed plastic, and California is considering a statewide ban.

Grocers and other retailers would like one policy to deal with disposable bags statewide.

"There's unrest with how slowly the wheels of the Legislature are turning," said Joe Gilliam, president of the Northwest Grocery Association. He has urged the mayor to give state lawmakers time next year to pass a statewide ban. The legislative session starts in January and should end in June.

"We think we have the momentum to make this work," Gilliam said.

More: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/07/portland_mayor_sam_adams_pledg.html

[customerserviceguy]

1. What ever happened to the idea

of the corn starch based bags that I seem to remember hearing about maybe fifteen or twenty years ago? Did they simply not work?