San Francisco Bans Sale of Plastic Bottles

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mockbee
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San Francisco Bans Sale of Plastic Bottles

#1 Post by mockbee » Tue Mar 03, 2015 8:27 pm

San Francisco Becomes The First City to Ban Sale of Plastic Bottles

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plastic-water-bottle-banIn a bold move toward pollution control, San Francisco has just become the first city in America to ban the sale of plastic water bottles, a move that is building on a global movement to reduce the huge amount of waste from the billion-dollar plastic bottle industry.

Over the next four years, the ban will phase out the sales of plastic water bottles that hold 21 ounces or less in public places. Waivers are permissible if an adequate alternative water source is not available.

One of the larges supporters of the proposal was the Think Outside the Bottle campaign, a national effort that encourages restrictions of the “eco-unfriendly product.”

San Francisco’s ban is less strict than the full prohibitions passed in 14 national parks, a number of universities and Concord, Mass.

Violators of the ban would face fines of up to $1,000.

Joshua Arce, chairman of the Commission on the Environment, said the ban is “another step forward on our zero-waste goal.” The City wants to have no waste going to its landfill by 2020. Its diversion rate now stands at 80 percent.

Past efforts toward the goal included banning plastic bags and plastic-foam containers.

“We had big public events for decades without plastic bottles and we’ll do fine without them again,” Arce said.

The American Beverage Association, which includes Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo, said in a statement that the ban was “nothing more than a solution in search of a problem. This is a misguided attempt by city supervisors to decrease waste in a city of avid recyclers.”


:banana:

Whoooooo-hooooooo! Way to go. That is awesome. Plastic is a huge component in the death of our oceans. Especially plastic bags and bottles. Not saying this is a catch all and ultimate solution, but is a required step. 80% of marine litter starts from the land, it doesn't come from a boat. And there is currently a couple plastic/garbage eddys in the Pacific supposedly larger than the state of Texas.

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Hype
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Re: San Francisco Bans Sale of Plastic Bottles

#2 Post by Hype » Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:35 am

And there is currently a couple plastic/garbage eddys in the Pacific supposedly larger than the state of Texas.
The pacific garbage patches are really awful, not because they're giant swirling masses of floating plastic and shit, but, on the contrary, because the polymers into which plastic breaks down don't disappear, they just become less and less solid and less and less easy to avoid (for marine life: avoid eating or breathing in).
Plastics are primarily synthetic organic polymers derived
from petroleum. When exposed to UV radiation in
sunlight, these polymers break into smaller and smaller
pieces, but they are still present as plastic, and they are
not biodegradable in any practical human scale of time.
This persistence of plastic leads to an increasing abundance
in the ocean environment, which makes plastic debris more
accessible to plankton and other marine life. Plastic debris
and minute plastic particles, including pre-production plastic
pellets, sometimes called nurdles or resin beads, are
found floating in the ocean and stranded on beaches.

creep
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Re: San Francisco Bans Sale of Plastic Bottles

#3 Post by creep » Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:19 am

i'm a plastic bottle user. i drink bottled water.

if people would just act like a person should behave and not litter and recycle we wouldn't need these laws. :noclue:

blackcoffee
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Re: San Francisco Bans Sale of Plastic Bottles

#4 Post by blackcoffee » Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:22 am

Seattle is shooting for zero waste, as well. Blows my mind that it could be possible, but it's very exciting. I always wonder about the recycling process, though, and how eco-friendly it is. Not having the need to recycle as much will definitely be a step in the right direction.

Oh, and this

Welcome to the Plastic Beach

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mockbee
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Re: San Francisco Bans Sale of Plastic Bottles

#5 Post by mockbee » Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:37 am

creep wrote:i'm a plastic bottle user. i drink bottled water.

if people would just act like a person should behave and not litter and recycle we wouldn't need these laws. :noclue:
This is a good point. These types of plastics ( PET bottles - made from polyethylene terephthalate) actually only account for a small portion of the total plastics going to landfill. Also PET is highly valuable for recycling, but as stated, that has its own set of issues, with energy use and pollution.

I think the point is, this will force Outside Lands and other festivals and city sponsored events like, ironically enough, Race for the Cure (breast cancer awareness event) that produces a massive amount of toxic BPA/PET plastics in its wake..... :hs: ... to heavily invest in water refill stations, and not hand out willy-nilly tons of one use plastic bottles.

Reduce is the name of the game for this measure, but the measure is also silly (as Bloomberg News points out) because it doesn't go far enough. :bored:

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mockbee
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Re: San Francisco Bans Sale of Plastic Bottles

#6 Post by mockbee » Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:44 am

The US only recycles less than 30% of its PET plastic bottles, the rest ends up in landfills and ultimately the ocean. China recycles greater that 90%, because PET is relatively valuable, $800/ton for recyclers. I'd say amp up the tax and give a greater refund for bottles.

Homeless have independent work for some food money and the we get our rate up to 90%, like China.... :noclue:

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