Paper or plastic?
A lot of folks would rather you say, "Neither."
The latest buzz in the plastic bag debate was Fred Meyer's announcement Sunday that, starting Aug. 1, it will eliminate the plastic option at checkout stands in its 10 Portland stores.
The grocer's move came days after Mayor Sam Adams shared a draft ordinance that would ban plastic bags starting January 2012 in large chain grocers and retailers that feature pharmacies in Portland. The ordinance, which the city council will vote on next month, ultimately aims to steer shoppers toward reusable bags such as cloth — and not simply to divert them to paper. To do that, it would require that grocers charge 5 cents for paper or compostable bags and offer reusable bags for sale.
While other metro-area grocers have ditched plastic bags — Whole Foods eliminated them companywide in April 2008 — Fred Meyer represents the largest chain locally to make such a move. New Seasons Market, which has never offered plastic check-out bags, is looking to offer options beyond paper or reusable bags, such as rentable wagons, at its new Hawthorne store, which should open this fall.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Oregonian (Portland).
Photo by Andrew Burton, The Oregonian