| Across the country, from big cities like San | | | | also costs more to recycle plastic bags than to |
| Francisco to small towns like Westport, CT there | | | | use virgin resin to make new bags, so it is not |
| is a movement to eliminate free plastic bags | | | | cost effective to recycle the bags, despite what |
| because of environmental issues. This movement | | | | the oil companies would have us believe. |
| is not sitting well with Big Oil, which is fighting all | | | | Fear of losing billions in sales has made Big Oil |
| efforts which might hamper this $4 billion industry. | | | | come out swinging. To get the Seattle tax |
| Seattle passed a 20-cent plastic bag tax, despite | | | | referendum, one estimate says they paid about |
| media efforts of the Plastic Bag Affiliates (PBA), | | | | $8 per signature in ad costs. To thwart California |
| which is a group of manufacturers of the bags, | | | | efforts for a ban or tax, the airways were filled |
| such as Exxon-Mobil and Dow Chemical. A | | | | with Gas, Food Now This! radio ads condemning a |
| concentrated PBA campaign since has garnered | | | | potential plastic bag tax. The ads said the tax |
| the necessary signatures to put the tax a future | | | | would be especially devastating to low income |
| ballot, giving the oil companies one more shot at | | | | families, seniors and anyone living on a fixed |
| retaining their plastic bag business in Seattle. | | | | income. Again, PBA makes no mention that the |
| In California the PBA ran ads that tried to scare | | | | tax incurred by these people would be zero if |
| people into thinking they would have to pay $400 | | | | they brought in their own bags, which is the main |
| per year because of the tax, and completely | | | | purpose of the proposal. |
| disregarded the fact that the tax was to | | | | In Annapolis, where a ban was being considered, |
| encourage people to bring reusable bags which | | | | Donna Dempsey, the plastic bag industry |
| would then cost the taxpayer nothing. | | | | spokesperson, noted that paper bags take up |
| In 2002, Ireland imposed a similar tax and saw an | | | | seven times more space than plastic bags, so it |
| immediate 90% drop in plastic bag use. Ireland | | | | cost more to truck them to the store and for |
| credits this reduction for saving 400,000 barrels | | | | stores to stock them. Once again, she did not |
| of oil per year. China estimates it will save 34 | | | | mention reusable bags which would cost the |
| million barrels of oil now that it has banned free | | | | stores nothing and take up no storage space. |
| plastic bags. | | | | American is behind the rest of much of the world |
| The PBA ads also say plastic bags are fully | | | | when it comes to plastic bag reduction programs, |
| recyclable, which is true. However the ads neglect | | | | in large part to the money, power and influence |
| to mention that most American municipalities do | | | | of the big oil companies which sponsor the Plastic |
| not accept plastic bags for recycling because they | | | | Bag Affiliates campaigns to stop plastic bag taxes |
| can gum up the machinery. Less than 2% of | | | | and bans. |
| plastic bags are recycled, according to the EPA. It | | | | |