Local view: Bag ban in Duluth unnecessary government intervention

There is an organized effort underway in Duluth to ban thin plastic bags and Styrofoam food containers. The proposal also would require that Duluth businesses charge customers for paper shopping bags.
I respectfully suggest the city not approve a bag ban and other restrictions. I don't think the city should involve itself with this consumer transaction. Let businesses and consumers continue to make such decisions for themselves, using their own free will. No city of Duluth intervention is needed. There are many things bag ban-supporting businesses, organizations, churches and individuals can do without city of Duluth involvement to reduce the use of plastics. Businesses in support of a bag ban could charge for paper bags and not offer plastic bags. Or they could charge for both. Aldi already does this. Businesses could use carryout containers as they wish, too. These businesses could promote and advertise their efforts as part of their marketing. Supporters of a bag ban could provide education and promotion in the community through schools, church members, organization members, customers, and media, promoting reusable bags and recommending containers to shoppers and businesses. Instead of attempting to influence the City Council to endorse a ban and extensive rules, bag-ban supporters could put their effort toward educating and promoting their objectives directly to businesses, their members and consumers. Businesses and organizations that support a ban could provide reusable bags. The bags could be new, or places could be provided where people could donate their surplus reusable bags. Promoting the use of reusable bags could be encouraged, including making your own. In other communities I've visited, stores offered 5-cent or 10-cent credits for bags customers brought in to use. This seems a simple and effective incentive for shoppers to bring their own bags. Bag ban-supporting businesses, churches and organizations could provide bag-recycling bins for customers. There currently are very few places to recycle bags. More places and more visibility of recycling options would greatly increase the number of bags that are recycled. Many of Duluth's businesses and restaurants already operate under small profit margins, and a ban on bags as well as the other rules being proposed could have many unintended consequences. Small restaurants could struggle to absorb the additional cost of providing approved takeout containers. Consumers could choose to take their business to Hermantown or Superior to avoid a Duluth bag ban. And how would out-of-town visitors feel when told they can't have a plastic bag with handles and that they'll instead have to pay for a paper bag? The brunt of the complicated and detailed ban would be placed on the servers and store clerks who would have to deal with frustrated customers for a long time - long after the city councilors and ban supporters have moved on to other matters. I support using reusable bags. I haven't purchased any plastic bags in decades. I always bring my own bags to grocery stores. The few plastic or paper bags I get at other stores are used to line our garbage cans, for pet poop pickup, and to hold newspaper and shiny-paper waste for donations to support local nonprofits. I even designed and made reusable leaf bags out of old bedsheets, so I don't even buy bags for yard waste. If bags were banned, many like me would have to start buying bags, and that would negate the purpose of the ban. The city of Duluth should not ban, restrict, or regulate bags and food containers. Consumers and business owners can make such choices for themselves. City involvement in this issue is unnecessary government intervention.   Denette Lynch has lived in Duluth 25 years and is a longtime believer in reducing, reusing and recycling.There is an organized effort underway in Duluth to ban thin plastic bags and Styrofoam food containers. The proposal also would require that Duluth businesses charge customers for paper shopping bags.
I respectfully suggest the city not approve a bag ban and other restrictions. I don't think the city should involve itself with this consumer transaction. Let businesses and consumers continue to make such decisions for themselves, using their own free will. No city of Duluth intervention is needed.There are many things bag ban-supporting businesses, organizations, churches and individuals can do without city of Duluth involvement to reduce the use of plastics.Businesses in support of a bag ban could charge for paper bags and not offer plastic bags. Or they could charge for both. Aldi already does this. Businesses could use carryout containers as they wish, too. These businesses could promote and advertise their efforts as part of their marketing.Supporters of a bag ban could provide education and promotion in the community through schools, church members, organization members, customers, and media, promoting reusable bags and recommending containers to shoppers and businesses.Instead of attempting to influence the City Council to endorse a ban and extensive rules, bag-ban supporters could put their effort toward educating and promoting their objectives directly to businesses, their members and consumers.Businesses and organizations that support a ban could provide reusable bags. The bags could be new, or places could be provided where people could donate their surplus reusable bags. Promoting the use of reusable bags could be encouraged, including making your own.In other communities I've visited, stores offered 5-cent or 10-cent credits for bags customers brought in to use. This seems a simple and effective incentive for shoppers to bring their own bags.Bag ban-supporting businesses, churches and organizations could provide bag-recycling bins for customers. There currently are very few places to recycle bags. More places and more visibility of recycling options would greatly increase the number of bags that are recycled.Many of Duluth's businesses and restaurants already operate under small profit margins, and a ban on bags as well as the other rules being proposed could have many unintended consequences. Small restaurants could struggle to absorb the additional cost of providing approved takeout containers. Consumers could choose to take their business to Hermantown or Superior to avoid a Duluth bag ban. And how would out-of-town visitors feel when told they can't have a plastic bag with handles and that they'll instead have to pay for a paper bag?The brunt of the complicated and detailed ban would be placed on the servers and store clerks who would have to deal with frustrated customers for a long time - long after the city councilors and ban supporters have moved on to other matters.I support using reusable bags. I haven't purchased any plastic bags in decades. I always bring my own bags to grocery stores. The few plastic or paper bags I get at other stores are used to line our garbage cans, for pet poop pickup, and to hold newspaper and shiny-paper waste for donations to support local nonprofits. I even designed and made reusable leaf bags out of old bedsheets, so I don't even buy bags for yard waste. If bags were banned, many like me would have to start buying bags, and that would negate the purpose of the ban.The city of Duluth should not ban, restrict, or regulate bags and food containers. Consumers and business owners can make such choices for themselves. City involvement in this issue is unnecessary government intervention. Denette Lynch has lived in Duluth 25 years and is a longtime believer in reducing, reusing and recycling.