When we maintain stormwater management systems one of the most common things we find are plastic shopping bags. The amount of bags that are in stormwater systems, and therefore streams and the natural environment is amazing.
Our friends at the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper pose the question – why not ban them? Especially if they can ban them in Mexico City. Read Eliza’s post : Mexico City bans plastic bags… why can’t Baltimore? | Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper.
Further surfing finds quite a few others pondering the question. Here is something from Portland… and there are many more out there….
- Will the US Government ban plastic shopping bags?
- Politicians Rethink Plastic Bag Tax Due to Recession
- San Francisco Bans Plastic Bags
- The Patron Saint of Plastic Bags
Maybe a federal move makes sense. Hello? President Obama? How’s that new EPA shaping up?

Shopping Bags in an Underground SWM Facility
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I fully support the ban of plastic bags. Fully!
One of my main concerns is with the alternatives offered. I don’t like the reusable bags that most grocery stores sell, so I went looking for a better alternative. I found one that seems to be the best so far: http://avenatura.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/flip-tumble-bags/