Public Comments Received 11/16/09-11/18/09

[DEP Moderator]

The following comments were received Monday, 11/16/09 through Wednesday, 11/18/09. These comments have been compiled without editing.
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From E.B.
Good Morning,

While I realize that some of these bags end up where it is harmful to the environment, the problem is that
some people don't recycle them. The same goes for plastic bottles and a long list of other recyclable items.

There are also many people who do recycle these plastic bags at stores. Paper bags are recycled at home or business,
and are used to hold all the other recyclable paper items. I do, however, realize that the vast majority of our lazy
population refuses to do anything positive for the environment because a slight amount of effort is involved.

If this statute passes, I recommend a strong recycling campaign be attached with it. We need to drill this point
to recycle for reduced waste and use of less resources. Here in Lee County we have a tremendous recycling
program which accepts almost any paper or cardboard product and plastic with numbers 1-7.

Also, if there will be no more paper or plastic bags at stores, homeowners will need to receive paper bags from
someone to be able to recycle paper items and cardboard since there will be people that won't have boxes to
use as a substitute.
Please consider this and how it could be done if the old way is to get a paper bag from a
grocery store and use it home to put papers and junk mail in for recycling.

Thank you,

From M.C.
Let's do all we can to reduce the use of plastic bags! I'm glad Publix recycles bags that we turn in, and once in awhile Winn Dixie gives us a nickle for each of our own bags we use.
Maybe charging a tax for using plastic bags would help.
Thank you for working for this project!

From P.B.
There are literally islands in all the major oceans made up of plastic
and mostly plastic bags. They poison wildlife sealife and mankind.
They are unsightly and worst the never break down into anything of
value just smaller and smaller pieces of plastic. Get rid of plastic
and get used to carrying fabric bags for shopping. WE just need retraining.

From P.O.
I have a comment on the banning of plastic bags.

I do not consider myself particularly aged in years, however I do recall using paper bags as a child because there were no plastic bags. If the banning of plastic bags has been achieved in Mexico City, it most certainly can be achieved in Florida. Plastic Bags are a convenience. So are paper bags. But paper bags do not have nearly the negative environmental impact as plastic bags. Most paper bags can be composted, a natural process that wood and leaves undergo. Plastic cannot be composted.

I am a fisherman, scuba diver, and surfer, and I realize the importance of animals such as sea turtles to balance the ocean ecosystem, which Florida's economy vitally depends upon for a significant source of revenue. Sea turtles eat jellyfish. Sea turtles also accidentally eat plastic bags, which can kill them.

Banning plastic bags also sends a positive message to the Floridian people about the government that is enforcing the ban. It says that the government actively cares about their environment. People will be reminded of this every time they shop.

Please ban plastic bags. They are unnecessary and harmful.

From K.W.
I'd like to submit my opinion on this issue and say that plastic shopping bags should be banned PERIOD ...for all reasons, in all situations, for all stores. Most end up in landfills and in the oceans and waterways, ingested by oceanlife and waterfowl, clogging landfills for decades because they don't biodegrade. Most plastic is made by using petroleum products and that is the bad news--but there are new plastics made with cornstarch. For shopping bags however, paper and better yet cloth bags should be used to help keep the environment (and us) healthy. Thank you.

From D.T., J.W., J.Y., H.P., R.V., and L.P.
We are writing you in regards to an article we read in the
October 20th edition of the NEWS-PRESS. The article was
entitled “DEP wants to sack the use of all plastic bags at
stores”. The article weighed the pros and cons of the ban on
plastic and paper bags. We are proponents of the ban, and
believe it would be advantageous for the environment.
We agree with the DEP’s plans to initiate a fee for consumers
who fail to utilize cloth bags. It appears that residents of other
states have accepted this mandate with little difficulty, and we
are certain that Floridians will, as well.
We thank you for this opportunity to share our thoughts on this
subject, and we look forward to the day that the words “paper or
plastic” are a distant memory.