Tosans hope city will lead in panning plastic bags

Paper or plastic? It's a question asked on nearly every trip to the grocery store.

But does the convenience of disposable bags outweigh the impacts to the environment, and should Wauwatosa take a stand to try to reduce their use?

Those topics will be addressed following a viewing of "Bag It," a 45-minute documentary about plastic bags that will be screened at the Wauwatosa Public Library next week.

"We are keeping everything very open and formative at this point to encourage a constructive dialog and take the temperature of Wauwatosa on this issue," Alderman Jeff Roznowski said.

The alderman, who has helped organize the annual Tosa Green Summit, and members of the city's Energy Committee viewed the film and decided to bring it to a wider audience. It will be shown a second time during this year's summit, set for April 28.

Organizers hope they will get some direction from the community - including retailers that use plastic bags in their daily business - such as setting a goal to reduce the use of disposable bags or encouraging the use of reusable bags. The goal then would be to come up with initiatives to accomplish it.

"Nobody in Wisconsin has tackled this in a very strong way," Roznowski said. "This is a grassroots-type effort. Let's not make decisions for people, let's make decisions with them."

Hoping for change

In some cities around the country, there have been bans and taxes imposed to reduce the negative effects of plastic bags.

John Bahr, an Energy Committee member, would like to see a program come out of Wauwatosa that would serve as a model for other communities.

"Plastic and other single-use bags are major problems for both our environment and our economy," he said. "Change will require both community education and government action. I think people want to do the right thing, they just need an understanding of the problem."

The film screenings could lead to presentations before local churches, schools, clubs, neighborhood associations and other groups, in attempt to reach enough people to bring about change, Bahr said.

Plastic bags used for groceries or other retail products are reusable to an extent - they can be used for trash can lining, pet waste disposal or to carry lunches in, for example - but they often get thrown into landfills or become litter blowing into trees, fences, storm drains and waterways. They can clog gutters and sewer grates, and kill animals - particularly birds and marine life - when animals become entangled in the plastic or mistake plastic for food.

Some already leading way

For those reasons, Outpost Natural Foods has never carried the typical plastic grocery bag.

"Our primary bag choices have always been paper, and we encourage our customers bring in their own bags," General Manager Pam Mehnert said. "The only plastic we offer in the store for our customers are the thin plastic bags for wet produce items, and a bit thicker, smaller plastic bags for packing our bulk foods."

She estimates customers at Outpost's three stores reuse about 1 million bags per year.

"That's a lot of plastic not getting thrown away by Outpost shoppers," she said.

However, the mind-set required to bring a reusable bag for groceries definitely is not mainstream at this point, she added.

As a consumer, Mehnert brings a canvas bags into national retail chains like Target.

"The cashiers look at me like I have a third eye," she said. "They just don't know how to handle something out of the norm, which for them is taking something off the belt and into a plastic bag."

She hopes showing the movie will increase awareness and lead shoppers to change their shopping habits so fewer resources are being consumed.

At Metcalfe's Market, customers are paid 10 cents per bag when they bring in their plastic bags, said Christine Maciejewski, the store's special events coordinator.

"At Metcalfe's we are all about green power, so it is a benefit if they bring in their own reusable tote," she said.

Roznowski hopes this kicks off a larger trend of tackling issues related to sustainability. He would like to see the city create a sustainability mission and perhaps a committee to address everything from bike lanes and walkability to preserving green space.

AT A GLANCE

The following are methods some communities are trying to reduce plastic bag usage and problems associated with their use, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources:

Mandatory recycling programs: requiring retailers to collect and recycle plastic bags from customers.

Voluntary recycling programs: governments encouraging or providing incentives for retailers or retail associations to offer plastic bag recycling to customers.

Bag bans: banning disposable plastic shopping bags, either at certain retail outlets (such as supermarkets and chain pharmacies) or throughout their jurisdictions.

Bag taxes: imposing taxes in disposable bags - for example requiring retailers to collect a 15-cent surcharge per bag from customers that is put into a reusable bag option.

Mandatory offering of reusable bags: require retailers to offer a reusable bag option (though retailers can charge for the bags

Bag recycling as part of municipal programs: adding plastic bags to the list of items that can be collected curbside or by drop-off recycling programs.

Bag fees or credits: Encourage retailers to independently charge for disposable plastic bags or give customers a small credit for bringing in reusable bags.

Outreach: provide information about plastic bag recycling programs and encourage residents to participate.

On tap

WHAT: Viewing of "Bag It" and follow-up discussion

WHEN: 7 p.m. Feb. 1

WHERE: Wauwatosa Public Library, 7635 W. North Ave.