WHEREAS, millions of plastic bags are provided to Louisiana shoppers at retail checkout counters each year, and
WHEREAS, often, more plastic shopping bags are used than are needed to secure groceries and other retail goods for the trip home, and
WHEREAS, although some plastic shopping bags can be put to good secondary uses as garbage bags and for storing household goods, in most cases, a shopper’s supply of bags far exceeds any practical and useful secondary uses for which they can be employed, and
WHEREAS, untold billions of such bags are distributed to shoppers each year in the United States; the worldwide estimate is 4 trillion to 5 trillion non-biodegradable plastic bags distributed annually, and
WHEREAS, it takes 430,000 gallons of oil to produce 100 million plastic bags, and
WHEREAS, not only are errant plastic shopping bags a blight on the our scenic Louisiana landscapes, the environmental impact of their proliferation includes the combustion of fossil fuels used in their manufacture causing the emission of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants and soil and water contamination as they slowly decompose, releasing toxic chemicals from which they are made, and
WHEREAS, the proliferation of excess plastic shopping bags encourages their escape into the environment where they can create litter, despoil Nature, plug storm sewers and strangle and choke wildlife, and
WHEREAS, countries all over the world have recognized the problems caused by the proliferation of plastic shopping bags in the environment and some, including China, Belgium, India, Denmark, Hong Kong, Australia, Ireland, South Africa and Canada have initiated measures to address the problem, and
WHEREAS, across this country legislation has been passed or is pending approval in New York City, San Francisco and San Jose, CA, Anchorage, Alaska, Virginia, New Jersey, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and other places, dealing with this problem in various ways, such as banning their use, taxing their use, rewarding reuse of the bags, or use of alternate methods of carrying goods such as canvas bags, or use of biodegradable carrying bags, and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Wildlife Federation recognizes that a workable solution for the problem of errant non-biodegradable plastic bags in the environment must be found for Louisiana, and
WHEREAS, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s Executive Order No. BJ 2008-8 regarding “Green Government” states: efficient and effective waste management conserve tax dollars and natural resources, and reduction of waste and recycling of what would otherwise be waste are proven waste management strategies.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) urges retailers and other purveyors of plastic shopping bags to reduce their distribution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LWF commends those businesses in Louisiana that have already taken it upon themselves to cease distributing non-biodegradable plastic bags and applauds them for their environmental responsibility.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LWF does hereby urge and request Governor Bobby Jindal in reference to Executive Order No. BJ 2008-8 regarding “Green Government” to direct the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality to develop a plan to ultimately ban the free distribution of non-biodegradable plastic bags in Louisiana.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in Convention Assembled, March 16, 2008 in New Iberia, Louisiana.