Elkridge Plastic Bag Manufacturer: Proposed Bag Fee 'Harmful'
A bag fee won't help the environment, says an employee of Advance Polybag, and it will hurt businesses.
The sales director of an Elkridge business recently submitted a letter to MarylandReporter.com decrying the proposed state-wide grocery bag fee.
Bill Ebeck, director of sales for Advance Polybag, Inc., - a company on San Tomas Road that manufactures plastic bags - calls the proposed legislation "harmful and regressive."
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The Community Cleanup and Greening Act of 2013 would require certain stores to charge five cents for each disposable carry out bag it gives to a customer.
Proponents say that the fee will encourage the use of reusable bags, keeping the plastic bags out of the waste stream, the water and off the ground.
But Ebeck said the bag fee is not just bad for business, it will “harm consumers, jobs and the environment,” the environment which the legislation is aimed at protecting.
Ebeck argues in his letter that because, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, plastic bags make up less than half a percent of solid waste coming from the United States, a tax aimed at limiting their use would “do little co help the environment.”
He also argues that the use of reusable bags has led to an increase in theft in stores:
The Chamber of Commerce of Victor Valley in California recently advised businesses that thieves often rely on reusable bags to steal merchandise. Out in Seattle, grocery stores have also suffered due to a spike in thefts. One store even blamed the city’s plastic bag ban for thousands of dollars in losses. Closer to home, in Washington, D.C., a Safeway supermarket representative noted that there has been a rise in shoplifting since the bag fee started.
In April of 2011, Rex Varn, the executive vice president of Advance Polybag said the bag legislation would put 140 jobs on the line.
Referring to the Community Cleanup and Greening Act of 2013, he said in an article in PR Newswire: “Instead of a tax, we support promoting bag recycling – an approach that creates jobs and preserves consumer freedom and convenience.”
Read Ebeck's letter in its entirety on MarylandReporter.com
What do you think? Is the bag tax a harmful, regressive money grab or a step in the right direction when it comes to stewardship?
Dave A.
6:37 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I agree with the manufacturer of the bags. The fee is not going to do anything for any type of "Bag Pollution"; rather it is nothing more then a tax that will be pushed on us without the word "TAX" attached to it!
Christopher
7:31 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
What a shock, another government "money grab". The only thing that's missing in the justification for this tax is to mention is that "it's for the children". When is enough enough?
Barbara F.
7:34 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
How can the bag tax do little to help the environment? All one needs to do is look at all the bags that litter the river banks, trees, fences, and areas surrounding stores that use these bags. I realize it's people not the bags that litter, but maybe it would make people think and use the reusable bags.
NK
8:16 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Washington D.C. has had a bag fee for over a year and stream clean ups have shown significantly less plastic bag pollution. The plastic bag industry, in their own report, said they could only recycle about 20% of the bags produced. It is not a tax because the consumer can choose to bring in their own bags and get 5 cents back for each one. And it is good for business because retail stores pay for the bags and give them out for free. You can be sure that the consumer is already getting hit with that charge.
Coleman
11:29 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Many manufacturers say that banning plastic will hurt business and cost Americans jobs..of course because these are terrifying thoughts during economically difficult times. Lessening the damage of plastic pollution can only be done by lessening the use of plastic material..simple. saying that recycling is the answer is like a person who wants to quit smoking saying "I'm quitting by recycling every single cigarette butt I produce"...think about it. Smoke is still toxic and so is plastic. Furthermore recycling is only catching about 1 out of every 4 plastic bags, and that's been going on for over 50 years. We need a better bag!
Dave A.
1:11 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
What we need,is a responsible society! Not one that takes everything for granted !