State backs off big bold move to ban paper-or-plastic, but maybe there's hope for Florida yet

In the Publix check-out line, once I'm done reading the Tiger tabloid headlines, I do my unofficial survey. Good days, it's maybe half and half, shoppers who bring in their own sturdy reusable grocery bags vs. those who opt for the store's traditional paper-or-plastic.

Me, I have lots of reusables, bought cheap at markets and drug stores. Sometimes I even remember to bring them into the store with me.

So I got all enthused last year about a big, bold draft report from our state Department of Environmental Protection that recommended a five-year phase-out of those paper-or-plastic handout bags we've gotten so used to.

Wow. What a way to get us Floridians — consumers of billions of bags a year — used to reusing!

Would it work? San Francisco reports up to 127 million fewer plastic bags were distributed a year after its ban went into effect. A single reusable bag can reportedly replace hundreds of throw-away plastic ones annually. So it sure sounded like a progressive push against those plastic bags that threaten our wildlife, clog our storm drains and generally trash the place — and a big, bold move for Florida.

Big and bold is apparently not to be.

This month, the DEP issued a milder, more inclusive final report to the Legislature, this version including a dozen options, from an educational campaign to a ban.

That big, bold initial recommendation? The DEP said that "after further review," the draft did not include all options.

Bottom line: All those choices could give lawmakers plenty of wiggle room to do, well, pretty much nothing new. Sure, public education's great. Any plan needs it. Actual motivation would be even better.

So what's the smack-talk against getting rid of throwaway bags?

The Florida Retail Federation cites customer convenience and doesn't like one rule for all stores. People who reuse bags for dog duty or trash liners object — but remember, that's a single reuse, and only 12 percent of plastic bags are actually reused or recycled anyway.

There's this: The bag ban's escalating fee — it would cost you a nickel to get one at the store, rising to a quarter in the fourth year — brought up a word that makes politicians choke on their Cheerios: tax. Also interesting: In listing the pros and cons of each option, the DEP report says a "con" of a bag ban is potential job loss in plastic bag manufacturing and plastic recycling industries.

Okay, so enough on being disappointed. The report is an interesting read anyway, if lawmakers don't go for the most do-nothing options. It explores recycling, fees and offering biodegradable bags. Here's an interesting tidbit: The DEP says opting for paper over plastic is not the answer because the life cycle of a paper bag, from making it to disposing of it, has "a higher level of environmental harm."

The report mentions possible pilot programs for Florida communities already interested in dealing with the bag problem — though local governments were thwarted from individually banning plastic bags in 2008.

Check out the report for yourself at dep.state.fl.us/waste/retailbags. And if you care about the trashing of our state, let your lawmakers know that when it comes to paper-or-plastic, doing nothing is not an option.