Positive News US is a free, not for profit newspaper published four times a year in Ithaca, NY. We report on successful projects around the world in the areas of sustainability, social equality, education and happiness, with a clear message that "another world is possible."
more...
| a part of Positive News International |
Frisco Says No to Plastic, YES to Cloth! |
by Ruth Robertson
It's the new look in San Francisco: swinging your own cloth shopping bag into the grocery store.
Soon, petroleum-based plastic sacks will no longer litter streets and choke the city's marine life thanks to a measure that makes San Francisco the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags.
The new policy, passed 10-1 by the City of San Francisco Board of Supervisors and soon to be signed into law by Mayor Gavin Newsom, requires large markets and drug stores to give customers a choice solely among bags made of paper that can be recycled, plastic that breaks down easily enough to be made into compost, or reusable cloth bags.
San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, who spearheaded the ban, hopes that other U.S. cities and states will follow suit. In Asia, Bhutan and Bangladesh have already recognized the environmental devastation caused by plastic sacks by entering into force a total ban on petroleum-based plastic bags. Many other parts of Asia are taking action against clogged landfills and waterways with total or partial plastic bag bans.
While European environmentalists are calling for citizens to "sack the plastic sack," officials in Rwanda and Zanzibar are encouraging the revival of raffia bags and woven baskets. In the near future, people of all nations are more likely to be seen using traditional materials for shopping bags. San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi smiled broadly as he passed out free cloth bags to San Francisco residents this spring and declared that plastic bags would "soon be a relic of the past!"
It's the new look in San Francisco: swinging your own cloth shopping bag into the grocery store.
Soon, petroleum-based plastic sacks will no longer litter streets and choke the city's marine life thanks to a measure that makes San Francisco the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags.
The new policy, passed 10-1 by the City of San Francisco Board of Supervisors and soon to be signed into law by Mayor Gavin Newsom, requires large markets and drug stores to give customers a choice solely among bags made of paper that can be recycled, plastic that breaks down easily enough to be made into compost, or reusable cloth bags.
San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, who spearheaded the ban, hopes that other U.S. cities and states will follow suit. In Asia, Bhutan and Bangladesh have already recognized the environmental devastation caused by plastic sacks by entering into force a total ban on petroleum-based plastic bags. Many other parts of Asia are taking action against clogged landfills and waterways with total or partial plastic bag bans.
While European environmentalists are calling for citizens to "sack the plastic sack," officials in Rwanda and Zanzibar are encouraging the revival of raffia bags and woven baskets. In the near future, people of all nations are more likely to be seen using traditional materials for shopping bags. San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi smiled broadly as he passed out free cloth bags to San Francisco residents this spring and declared that plastic bags would "soon be a relic of the past!"
Announcements
What do You find hopeful in the world today? Please contribute a short paragraph and be published in Positive News. We are currently selecting...
more >
The California Edition of Positive News is well on the way! We are looking for volunteers to help make it happen. To join our team contact...
more >
