The Darien Times

Darien's plastic bag debate opens at RTM

Written by Susan Shultz
Thursday, January 26, 2012 05:19 PM

The long running plastic bag debate has moved to the Representative Town Meeting, where both sides pled their cases Monday night. The debate has led to rumors that the next town referendum could be about shopping bags.

Choose to Reuse, a group of Darienites hoping to eliminate single-use plastic shopping bags from town retailers, initially began their education campaign last spring.

They presented their case to the Board of Selectmen, which in general was in favor of the cause. However, not every selectman was in favor of an ordinance.

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson, then serving as a selectman, said she runs her home and lifestyle in an environmentally-conscious manner, but belies in personal responsibility and choices.

Selectman Dave Campbell, serving as first selectman at the time, and Selectman Jerry Nielsen, who each own two of the largest businesses in town — Ring's End Inc. and Nielsen's Florist — each opted voluntarily to eliminate plastic bag use at their businesses.

The three Republicans encouraged Choose to Reuse to pursue an voluntary ban.

The two Democratic selectmen at the time, David Bayne, who ran and won his seat in November again, and Callie Sullivan, who did not seek re-election, both were in favor of an ordinance, saying the voluntary ban would not work.

A big reason the voluntary ban wouldn't make much of a difference, they said, is that Stop & Shop, one of the largest purveyors of plastic bags in town, and CVS, were unable to participate in a voluntary ban per corporate policy but a law would force them to comply.

In the end, the board voted to move the ordinance to the RTM for debate, with the three Republicans indicating they would not support an ordinance, and the two Democrats indicating support. But only Nielsen officially voted against sending it to the RTM.

Choose to Reuse, now with two members, Deepika Saksena and Nina Miller, having run for and attaining seats on the RTM, presented their campaign to the RTM Monday.

Leila Wetmore talked about the danger of polyethylene gas put off by plastic bags and said the bags do not biodegrade, lasting for centuries.

Though Darien's garbage is taken to an incinerator in Bridgeport, Wheelabrator, where it is converted into energy, Wetmore said "plastic bags don't just disappear when they are burned."

According to Wheelabrator's website, it uses "trash as fuel, thereby converting municipal solid waste into renewable energy that helps the U.S. decrease its dependence on foreign fossil fuels."

She said the byproducts and toxins contaminate ground and water supply and increase air pollution. Wetmore also pointed out that plastic bags litter the Long Island Sound and suffocate marine wildlife.

Choose to Reuse estimated that Darien goes through approximately six million plastic bags a year.

On the flip side, Greg Palmer, owner of Palmer's Market, spoke out against the ordinance, saying that his business already takes many environmentally friendly initiatives, but eliminating plastic bags would cause an unnecessary financial hardship on him and other local businesses.

He said that Choose to Reuse "started with a mission to promote the use of re-usable bags and eliminate disposable bags in Darien, but that got lost in an agenda."

Palmer also pointed out that paper bags are not more environmentally friendly than plastic, a myth believed by many.

"Paper bags generate 70% more air and water pollutants," Palmer said of what goes into making paper bags. He also said transporting paper bags takes four times the trucks as plastic bags, and four times the amount of energy to produce them.

Palmer also said it takes 91% less energy to recycle a pound of plastic bags than paper.

In addition, Palmer questioned why businesses are the only ones responsible for the environment, as could be indicated by the ordinance against plastic bags.

"This should be shared by the entire community," he said.

Pointing out the financial burden, Palmer said plastic bags cost 4¢, and paper costs 11¢ per bag.

"Consumers choose plastic 60% of the time. The cost would be $25,000 to $30,000 per year," he said.

Palmer also said his market, the oldest in Darien, has been offering re-usable bags for four years, free with every $100 of purchases — that has already cost them $70,000.

Palmer said the market remains committed to the community and the environment.

Al Tibbetts, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, supported Palmer's position, saying the chamber was taking a leadership role in supporting the business community as long as their positions didn't negatively affect quality of life.

RTM member Bruce Orr, chairman of the Finance & Budget Committee, pointed out he was a trained biologist, and said Palmer was absolutely right that paper bags are much worse for the environment that plastic.

Orr said an organization called "Use Less Stuff" reviewed another town's decision to ban plastic bags and said it didn't achieve what it hoped to and said the town "should consider revising this ordinance."

Choose to Reuse member Nina Miller, also now on the RTM, said she'd spoken to many businesses that were much like Palmer's, smaller-scale and local, who said while it was hard at first, "it is all about educating the customer and consumer."

Choose to Reuse members also pointed out that there can be serious health consequences to polyethylene contamination.

Stevenson spoke to the RTM about her own personal responsibility when it comes to the environment, saying she and her family "live that way every day."

"It is my choice, it is your choice, how you educate your family and take initiatives."

Stevenson said it is the RTM's role to create ordinances to "address problems."

"We don't have a problem in Darien with plastic bags. They aren't clogging our drainage systems, in our trees or our parks and beaches," she said.

Stevenson says she does agree that plastic bags are a problem on a national and global level, but the ordinance the RTM is considering would only impact Darien, "where all of our refuse goes to a clean energy factory in Bridgeport."

"I think a good defense is a good offense," Stevenson said, saying she knows many people who have changed their behaviors as a result of the Choose to Reuse campaign.

Opting to ban plastic bags is a "slippery slope," she said, and if "we ban plastic bags, what we will be asked to ban tomorrow?"

Despite their involvement with Choose to Reuse, Saksena said she does not believe she or Nina Miller need to recuse themselves from the RTM vote because they stand to receive no financial gain from the law.

Choose to Reuse has obtained 800 signatures on a petition for the cause. Although there is already discussion of a referendum should the RTM opt to vote against this ordinance, the current signatures would not apply to a referendum petition legally, according to Town Clerk Donna Rajczewski. Signatures must be obtained on an official referendum petition.

In addition, according to the Town Charter, only actions taken by the RTM are subject to the referendum. Rajczewski said because of that, the likelihood is the ordinance would not be eligible for a referendum vote because if the RTM does not pass it, it has legally taken no action.

However, Rajczewski said town counsel Wayne Fox is looking into those legalities further.

More info: choosetoreuseindarien.org

sshultz@darientimes.com

< Prev		Next >