McAllen mulls aesthetics of plastic shopping bags

McALLEN - City leaders may soon follow the lead of municipalities throughout the country and address the environmental and aesthetic threat of plastic shopping bags.

The city has tasked Keep McAllen Beautiful, an independent non-profit group, with studying the issue and making recommendations on how to proceed.

Chris Lash, executive director of Keep McAllen Beautiful, said an outright ban on plastic shopping bags is unlikely, but her group would like to figure out a way to encourage a reduction in use of the bags.

"When plastic bags are littered, they wind up everywhere," Lash said. "It looks horrible. They wind up in our water systems."

The group is expected to present its findings to the city commission in a month.

McAllen joins the dozens of other cities throughout the country examining the issue.

San Francisco drew nationwide attention last year when it became the first city in the United States to prohibit the use of plastic checkout bags at large grocery stores. That move prompted cities nationwide to take action.

Seattle leaders decided this summer to require stores to charge 20 cents per plastic shopping bag.

Los Angeles also voted this summer to ban plastic bags. That plan is dependent on whether the state takes up the issue.

And in recent weeks, both Hawaii County and Maui County in Hawaii have approved plastic bag bans.

Environmentalists have taken up the battle against plastic bags in recent years. Plastic bags take 1,000 years to decompose, according the Environmental Protection Agency, and most are made from crude oil and natural gas, which are non-renewable resources.

A typical gas station convenience store purchases 200,000 to 300,000 plastic bags every six months, said Gerardo Cantu, an environmental specialist with the city of Laredo. "It's ridiculous what they're buying," Cantu said.

Even in Texas, the issue is gaining traction:

l El Paso is holding public forums that continue through September to gauge residents' thoughts on a plastic bag ban.

l Austin entered an agreement with area retailers, who have promised to reduce the number of bags they buy, sell reusable bags and make recycling plastic bags at stores easier.

l Laredo had considered forcing retailers to switch to thicker, more durable plastic bags, and it also considered a ban. Both plans fizzled out several months ago.

"We're looking at what has been successful at other cities - what works and what doesn't," said Ouina Rutledge, McAllen's recycling manager.

The moves haven't come without controversy.

Groups like the American Chemistry Council, which represent the bags' manufacturers, oppose plastic bag bans. Their Web site features columns like "Thinking Green? Pick Plastic!"

"These bans on plastic bags are wrong for the environment, wrong for business, and wrong for consumers," the association said in a release after the Hawaii bans were approved.

Instead, they support efforts to increase plastic bag recycling and promote reusable grocery bags. Plastic bags can be recycled into outdoor decking, fencing and other bags. But relatively few plastic bags are ever actually recycled, according to a government agency in California that oversees the state's waste.

Lash said her committee continues to look at options other than an outright ban. Charging a small fee for bags might discourage people from using so many, she said.

"When we go to a convenience store giving people a plastic bag for a pack of gum or a soda - we really don't need the bag," she said. "If we can do without it, why not?"

HEB spokeswoman Shelley Parks said canvass bags have been available to consumers company-wide since the start of the year. Since then, the stores have sold more than 1.3 million of them, Parks said.

She said HEB neither supports nor opposes laws that would prohibit plastic grocery bags. "We wan to help educate communities on the alternatives out there," Parks said. "Whatever the city decides, we'll work very closely with them and honor it."

But plastic bag battles can also get wrapped up in politics.

Cantu, of Laredo, said he believes his city failed to pass a ban due to fear of upsetting local plastic manufacturers and trepidation about becoming the first city in Texas to approve a ban.

McAllen City Commissioner Scott Crane said he would like to see the city find "some middle ground that is fair and equitable."

"It's a huge issue," Rutledge said. "It's controversial. We want to come to a consensus that makes everyone happy."