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City Looking Into Ways To Cut Back On Plastic Bag Littering
Posted: Feb 6, 2012 9:16 PM by Melissa Schroeder - mschroeder@kristv.com
Updated: Feb 7, 2012 10:41 AM
CORPUS CHRISTI --Later this month, Corpus Christi's city council will hear about ways to help cut back on plastic bag littering.
Last year, some local environmental groups made a push for a plastic bag ban in the city.
Possibilities included a charge for shoppers using the bags.
Or, giving people discounts when they bring reusable shopping bags to stores.
Now, Solid Waste Management officials are looking into the best solution for our city.
April Manry, who uses re-usable bags instead of plastic, says she supports a ban.
She said, "If I forget the bags, then I'll tell them just to put it in the cart and i'll throw it in my car. Once you start doing it you're almost addicted."
She says a ban would reduce pollution.
Angela Gonzalez, who works with the City's Clean Committee, said, "One of our friends talks about paddling out in the surf and pulling out a plastic bag as he's paddling out. That's ridiculous, we're in a time when we need to protect our environment."
Gonzales said a couple years ago Solid Waste Management did a litter survey and found plastic bags are one of the top three most littered items in Corpus Christi just behind cigarette butts and straws.
Right now, Solid Waste staff is researching cities already enforcing plastic bag bans.
They want to find out the pros and cons and in a couple weeks, they'll talk to city council about options.
But most retailers -- including HEB -- say they aren't supporting any type of ban.
Regina Garcia, HEB's Public Affairs Manager, said, "We really don't want to put a ban on something that a lot of our customers tend to use. On the value side we do have customers who use those bags for trash."
Garcia says instead, education is key.
HEB already places recycling bins in the store and encourages people to buy re-usable bags.
Solid Waste Management says an education program is also something their looking into.
Their presentation will be ready to go before city council on February 21st.
It starts at noon -- at city hall -- and it's open to the public.
After the presentation, council members are expected to give solid waste direction on what to do next....whether that's a bag ban, education program, or combination of both.
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