Paper Or Plastic

Letter to the editor to the OMR, printed in May '07.

I am constantly in search of examples of the contrasts between liberal and conservative policies. I expect that we all will agree that the SF Board of Supervisors is liberal. Several weeks ago they outlawed the plastic bag, which historically was their icon for saving trees by influencing consumers to choose the latter of the question; Paper or Plastic? I guess they have just realized the plastic is petroleum based and “we all know that’s evil”. But wait! It’s not back to paper. Oh no, they want the citizens to “choose” compostable bags. But the new compostable industry can’t even get close to replacement production. It also creates another segregated recyclable, which makes those efforts more difficult. All this to say, the law, in reality, will force the use of paper in the foreseeable future.

Consider these facts about; Paper or Plastic? Plastic: $0.01 ea., Paper: $0.04 ea., Compostable: $0.10 ea. Paper: 70% more air pollution and 50% more water pollutants than plastic according to the EPA. Plastic: 4 times less energy to produce and 85 times less energy to recycle. Paper: 9 times as much space in landfills and doesn’t break down at a substantially faster rate than plastic.

And riddle me this oh wise liberal. At a time when we are threatening to push the third world towards starvation by laying claim to their food supply to fuel our vehicles, we then will compound their frustration by claiming more to fill our land fills. Oh, that will go over just great!