It’s rewarding to be recognized now and then by the Tribune for making decisions that may be unpopular to some folks, but are not too difficult to make. I voted in favor of this ordinance because it was the right thing to do.
As an elected official, and as the Supervisorial District 5 representative on the county Integrated Waste Management Authority, I feel an obligation to reduce waste and reuse materials that otherwise would end up in our landfills.
We can’t keep accumulating non-biodegradable plastic waste in our landfills without acknowledging the long-term environmental and financial implications. At some point, elected leaders have to take actions that are absolutely necessary for the benefit of society overall. This is one of those times.
We use millions of single-use carry-out bags in San Luis Obispo County each year, and this ordinance is aimed at maintaining and enhancing our natural resources by reducing the negative impacts of these ubiquitous plastic bags.
This ordinance is supported by most of the grocers in the county and allows stores to recover reasonable costs for providing recyclable paper bags to consumers. I remember not so long ago when paper bags were the only option, and no one complained about it.
In fact, it’s fairly clear to me that much of the energy behind the opposition to this ordinance came from the plastic bag manufacturing industry, which appears to be behind most of the “controversy” over this issue throughout California and other parts of the nation. That’s their right, just as it’s my responsibility to do what’s right for the people of this community.
Please stay tuned to this space for a more thorough analysis of this issue from me. Until then, remember to shop with your re-usable carryout bags!
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