Considering Changes to SF's Plastic Bag Ban

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)_ San Francisco's plastic bag ban may be changing and expanding.

Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi told the Chronicle he'll formally introduce legislation at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting to broaden the original law he spearheaded.

Since the ban went into effect three years ago, city officials say they've saved 100 million plastic bags a year from clogging storm drains or littering landfills and streets.

Currently, large grocery and drug stores in the City, including places like Safeway and Walgreens are limited to recyclable paper bags compostable plastic bags or reusable bags.  In short, no single use, disposable bags are allowed.

Critics including the American Plastics Council say the proposal would drive more people towards paper bags which aren't always the best choice.

They claim plastic bags don't have to be thrown away and that they can be recycled and made into other products.

Mirikarimi's ban includes a few exceptions. Those long skinny bags that protect your newspaper from the sprinklers, dry cleaning bags, and plastic bags that hold bulk items, bakery goods or flowers.

The proposal would also broaden the list of retailers who have to comply with the bag ban to include hardware stores, department stores, boutiques and book shops.

The expansion would take effect next March.

The state Legislature meanwhile, is considering a statewide ban on plastic bags though it's considerable less stringent than San Francisco's bag ban.