[samstave]

SF has supposedly banned plastic bags for some time, however you can still be handed your loot in a plastic bag in nearly every little corner market, as well as any restaurant where you are taking something to go.

What i think SF should require, as opposed to banning plastic, is to require that instead corn/vegetable based bags should be used.

Plastic bags offer great convenience at a pretty significatant environmental cost.

For pretty much 100% of single-use, temporary applications, we should be using vegetable based materials.

Look at how much plastic is used simply as packaging for even single-use products; plastic covers on straws, most food is all wrapped in plastic.

We should be looking at reducing these types of packaging materials that simply gets thrown away.

[neilkumar]

Thats because the 2007 law only applied to large stores (ie, Safeway, Walgreens). Smaller stores were exempt.

[binarycrusader]

Did you read the linked PDF? SF probably did exactly what you suggested; they banned non-compostable plastic bags.

[samstave]

That's not working too well. :(

All the bags in the city are still plain old plastic.

[binarycrusader]

The ban just went into effect -- and after a legal challenge even. It will take some time for everyone to switch over and enforcement to begin.