Jo-Ann Ryan | Democratic majority whip, Providence City Council
1. What would your recently vetoed proposal to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags in Providence require? The distribution of single-use plastic bags of less than a thickness of 4 mils at retail establishments would be banned, as they have no recycling value. Laundry, dry-cleaning bags, newspaper bags and bags used to contain or wrap frozen foods, meat and fish to prevent or contain moisture were not included in the ban.
2. Why is there a need for a ban? The production, use and disposal of single-use plastic bags have significant adverse impacts on the environment and are a serious economic burden to the city’s solid-waste disposal and single-stream recycling systems. It is estimated the city will save up to $1 million annually by removing this common contaminant to our recycling system. Reducing single-use plastic bags will help to curb litter on our streets and waterways, protect the marine environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Mayor Jorge O. Elorza recently vetoed the legislation. What happens now? I’m committed to working with him, his administration, my colleagues on the City Council and other stakeholders to ensure that this law can be an ordinance that everyone can support. The ordinance called for a one-year implementation and outreach plan, and we had hoped to address any concerns during this period. … Zero Waste Providence has already begun partnering with organizations to help provide free, reusable bags.
4. Retailers can apply for an exemption under the proposal. Under what conditions would this be allowed? We wrote in the ability for the director of the city’s Office of Sustainability to draft procedures to create an appeal process to provide relief to the implementation period with the goal of reducing single-use plastic bags. Retailers who could have demonstrated a hardship could have sought an exemption.
5. What can businesses do to help explain the potential change to their customers? Become partners with the city to help educate consumers on the true cost of single-use plastic bags to consumers and to the environment. There is a misconception that single-use plastic bags provided by retailers to customers are free. They are not. Retailers build the [expense] of single-use bags into the cost of doing business. The ordinance required that cost to be disclosed.
