Concerned Citizens

You’ve seen them throughout the city, along streets, in ditches and probably even against your fence lines. They’re those pesky plastic tumbleweeds we get every time we visit a store. What’s even worse is they are creating a problem in our environment. Now the City of San Antonio/Solid Waste Management Division (COSA/SWMD), Keep San Antonio Beautiful (KSAB) and five area retailers are trying to do something to help reduce them to get them off the streets. Today, at City Hall, the campaign to help change the attitude of San Antonians kicked off with the help of Mayor Julian Castro City Manager Sheryl Sculley. So what can you do to help?

First let’s take a look at these bags and understand a little more about why we have them and why they are a nuisance. Plastic bags were introduced in the ‘80s as an alternative to paper bags, serving as a more environmentally friendly replacement. Plastic bags helped save trees, took less energy to produce and transport, and took less energy to recycle. The problem is that they also are more durable than paper bags when then end up in the trash and landfills, since they don’t decompose like paper.

To the last point, COSA/SWMD, KSAB, the Texas Retailer Association and the retailers (HEB, Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, and jcpenney) are working to not only educate San Antonio of the issues and the need to change but also providing ways to help change. Each of the retailers will be providing recycling bins at their store locations for people to drop off old bags for recycling the next time they visit the stores. As Mayor Castro said, “Remember to put ‘return bags to store’ on your shopping list when you make it out.”

Sculley emphasized the importance of reducing these bags from the waste stream of San Antonio with a goal of reducing bags by 25% in 18 months. With the average person using over 600 bags a year, that means recycling or not using about 150 bags a year or 10 bags a month. Thinking about that, that’s quite a lot but a good way to look at helping out. It also lines up with Wal-Mart’s goal of reducing plastic bag waste by 33% per store by the end of 2013, according to Julie Martin, Regional General Manager of Walmart stores for Central and South Texas.

So how can you help with the effort? First of all, you can start by not using bags in the first place. Each retailer will be offering reusable bags for you to carry your groceries or goods in each time you visit a store. Most of us already have these bags, usually given as swag when we attend an event or activity. The best way to remember them is to have them in the car at the ready. I have mine in my side compartment on my vehicle and pull them out when I visit the store. I used to be conscientious about taking a Walmart bag in HEB but don’t worry about it any more.

Secondly, if you do take bags with you, try to reduce the number of bags you take. Most clerks overuse the bags and sometimes put a few items in a bag that could hold a lot more. Help the clerk out by reminding them it’s okay to put a few more items in a bag. Finally, when you get home, if you do use bags, either reuse them for garbage bags or other uses but don’t put them in the trash. If you don’t need them collect them and bring them back to the store for recycling.

Plastic manufacturers are starting to find new uses for the recycled plastic, including making new bags out of as much as 40% of the recycled plastic. On display at the event was a bench with boards made of recycled plastic. I think you’ve heard me talk about my t-shirts being made of 50% recycled plastic. It’s great to see these items making their way back into the stream and creating a more sustainable model.

Also remember you can recycling plastic items other than the single-use bags. Plastic wrap over paper towels, newspaper bags, dry-cleaning bags, bread bags, produce bags, and zip lock bags are also candidates for recycling. I’ve started keeping a plastic bag hanging in my laundry room and stuff any plastic bag I can in it to recycle, helping cut down my waste stream.

So help San Antonio out. Remember, Change is in the Bag.