Plastic Bag Reduction Bill Veto Mesage

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Review of Plastic vs.Paper Bag LCA Studies Page 5 VI. SUMMARY LeQislation designed to reduce environmental impacts and litter by outlawing grocery bags based on the material from which they are produced will not deliver the intended results. While some litter reduction might take place, it would be outweighed by the disadvantages that would subsequently occur (increased solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions). Ironically, reducing the use of traditional plastic bags would not even reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, as paper and biodegradable plastic bags consume at least as much non-renewable energy during their full lifecycle. Further, an Internet scan of available government and non-profit information for the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia indicates that chewing gum and cigarette butts account for up to 95% of the litter generated in the English-speaking world." Thus, there would appear to be far better and potentially more effective legislative opportunities available if the objective is to significantly reduce litter. Again, when it comes to reducing the environmental and litter impacts of grocery and merchandise bags, the solution lies in a.) Minimizing the materials used to produce all types of bags, regardless of their composition, and b.) Building public awareness and motivation to reduce, reuse and recycle these bags- in that order. Robert Lilienfeld, Editor Footnotes i Com Plastic to the Rescue,by Elizabeth Royte,Smithsonian,August 2006 (www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2006/auQust/pla.r)hp?paqe=l). 2 These figures were provided by a number of experts,but due to the fluctuating dynamics of the composting industry,no firm citation can be given.One article that mentioned the relative unavailability of industrial and food composting was Composting that Plastic by Eliza Barclay,Metropolis Magazine,March 1,2004 (www.metropolismag.com)cda/story.php?artid=153).See also the BioCycle site www,findacomposter.com. 3 Life Cycle Inventories for Packagings,Volume 1,SAEFL, 1998, Environmental Series 250/1 and Eco- Profiles of the European Plastics Industry,developed by I.Boustead for PlasticsEurope,March 2005 (www.plasticseuror)e.org/contenUDefault.asi)?Paae]D=404&IsNewWindow=True). Ibid and Life Cycle Assessment for Three Types of Grocery Bags-Recyclable Plastic; Compostobte, Biodegradable Plastic;and Recycled, Recyclable Paper, performed by Boustead Consulting ft Associates Ltd. for the Progressive Bag Alliance, 2007_ 28 March 2008