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Ordinance Proposed to Ban Plastic Bags in Chicago

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    Chicago’s 1st Ward Alderman Joe Moreno on efforts to ban plastic bags in the city.

  • Duration 5:49
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Say you know the question paper -- plastic well my next guest doesn't want -- here -- any more he.

Completely ban plastic bags throughout Chicago all businesses larger than 5000 square feet now I think.

Plastic bags bags just as bad anyway my favorites.

A joke you know is -- to disagree.

With me welcome back -- -- to the show up.

There's -- as a base for having -- a case of what should be with plastic -- Tax.

Policy stop my -- -- other countries and other states they're terrible for our taxpayers and -- terrible foreign environment -- an economic and environmental issue.

Fouls that we've used three billion with a -- -- and city Chicago.

And every time we clean out -- -- and every time we clean a park in every conflict we clean streets we got to pull these plastic bags out of the sewers off the trees that costs -- taxpayers.

Hundreds of thousands not millions of dollars a year and there's a better way and that sourcing with -- -- is a better way we can have affordable.

-- -- -- -- Composed of -- bags that look and feel like classic -- that are made up.

Of greener sources not petroleum based sources overseas Saudi Arabia and there's a better way to do this and other reason tallies -- have done this have seen great results.

OK let's breakdown some of those points he made there eighty tried to 90% of paper -- right now are not recycled according in the Wall Street Journal.

So worse than.

Paper bags or not they were not seen the paper bags of the -- the best to do as you know is to bring your own bags they have value and we already have stores that do this security at -- -- RJ's supermarkets and a just order -- analyzing what -- you provide an incentive for people to bring it -- like.

For example give them -- -- different -- we.

We tried to do that and 07 I was not on the council then we worked with and try to recycle these bags it's gone nowhere they already tried to stop this legislation.

God of your friends of the petroleum industry five or six years ago -- did stop it.

Against out of it.

Yeah they they did they did stop it and -- and and nothing's changed in -- choose the bags are not getting recycled.

Nothing has changed in fact it's gotten worse and let me give -- some some some examples -- companies that -- are doing quite well without these Costco whole foods.

All the Trader Joe's they don't use these bags and they're doing and you find apparently.

-- you pass the costs on to their customer and the customer knows it -- I -- -- because hang on.

It convict because they have wealthy customers who can afford it but paper bags and -- cost ten cents a bag plastic bags -- tell you three cents.

So it.

Are -- from -- are you familiar with all the are you familiar with the all the food chain and not that big day OK -- that food that from a consortium has a very low priced.

They're there's if there's of their goods are very low price they they cater to up a middle to lower income.

Our families so it's not just whole foods it's also -- -- classical.

Seven -- -- have to absorb that cost or pass that onto their consumer when I was saying we just that -- yeah that's not right use any it is absolutely -- margins and did you look at our business -- geragos does you.

Yeah I knew you eat -- the cost did you look at the -- -- -- -- say and it cost goes up that you either have to absorb that cost.

Or pass it on your consumers -- -- money doesn't come out of the merits got to -- some.

Where so it's so -- first of all.

The study that I sent you we're just getting odds municipalities in California where their costs have not gone up -- -- in the stores -- they've put these ins and that's a fallacy.

That does not repeat not a -- but it's not.

Through her money it costs more doesn't cut up paper bag so that that the money doesn't matter what an -- let me ask you this -- because you've talked about combustible back in that and compost -- I haven't seen it right back answer that but the ultimate work and you have a police.

To do compost and and not -- -- -- that I mean how are you gonna do about problem that's another -- Any anything that that can compose whether it's people what not has to be -- -- that's what education we have to have.

You can go in and dig out phone book from the seventies but hasn't been turned it's not impossible -- anything paper or otherwise has to be.

But you're using an argument the people use.

-- styrofoam big Mac and whopper containers it's gonna cost more money it's gonna put those guys out of business they're all over our streets.

Back in the eighties and early ninety's and we've gotten rid of them and those can be done very very well some other thing I would say I don't I don't -- have -- -- energy bag.

I'd say that you hold your bag and see you love and the -- some I was doing that was styrofoam containers after 220 years ago and they wouldn't do it today.

And I got to get -- words in here too because this is a didn't agree with me.

It takes 91% more energy to recycle paper bag and a plastic bag I worry about that because it's so much easier to recycle these bags.

Every store I go into -- New York when you walked through the front towards your last.

There is a full container that has bags that people brought back when I have got that from -- store music to death.

And I don't first high bags for my trash bins -- my heroes because all -- -- me as I mean it's not like Eagle Lake that.

Because -- throw them away -- had respond.

Let's do some actual statistics and some facts and status in just intuitive idea that back this 91% fat -- -- talking.

The facts of this are that all the plastic bags are out there less than one in ten are actually put into that receptacle you talk about Celeste and 10%.

All the 10% that are put into their.

One in four are actually recycled and you know why because they have to be single stream for instance in Chicago we have blue been recycling started recycling -- there its sordid and -- recycled.

Plastic bags can't go in there.

You have to going their separate they cannot be thrown in general recycling.

I would -- -- -- -- million pounds of plastic bags were recycled last year.

We're out of time you made a great case you -- -- fantastic opponent Alderman Marino I hope you'll come back and do this again.

I think we can do this anyone again thank you let's have a lot more ammo are up -- let's do.