RED BANK — The recessionary financial climate has claimed another casualty: Red Bank’s proposed ban on plastic shopping bags.
Citing the need to protect businesses in these challenging economic times, Borough Council members did not second a motion to vote on the long-discussed ordinance banning plastic bags in the borough at the Nov. 10 council meeting.
At the start of the meeting, the ordinance’s sponsor, Councilman Michael DuPont, made a presentation detailing the negative effects that plastic bags can have on the environment.
After public comment from a local business owner, two residents and plastic bag lobbyists, none of the council members agreed to open the matter up to a vote.
The plastic bag ordinance has been a topic of debate for almost a year. The proposed ordinance would have banned their use starting July 1. The measure also included fines starting at $100 for those who violated the law.
In an interview last week, DuPont wasn’t ready to concede that the proposed ban is off the table for good.
“I know that the mayor, in speaking with him, he supported the concept and the direction we were heading, and I’m hoping with the mayor’s leadership and the environmental commission, we can come to some worthwhile goal on these plastic bags,” he said.
As for the reaction of the council when it came time to vote, DuPont said, “I knew that a few of the council people had some reservations, but I expected them to make the environment a priority. I don’t think you can compromise on the environment.”
Cindy Ciullo, owner of Backward Glances on Broad Street, spoke out against the ordinance at the meeting and said she was originally told it would only apply to supermarket bags, not the higher-quality bags she uses.
“Several months ago I went and reordered my bags, which are high-quality plastic bags. I now have 10,000 of them sitting in my store, and now it seems that the bag ban is going to be an outright ban,” she said at the meeting. “I am all for helping the environment and all for reusable bags, but for a small store like myself, it’s not an option to use just reusable bags.”
As a merchant in Red Bank for 23 years, Ciullo said she would not be able to afford the fines listed in the ordinance.
“The way the economics are in town, you don’t need to be hurting stores that are already suffering with punitive fines,” Ciullo said.
She said reusable bags work better for supermarkets when residents know they’ll be constantly returning, not for tourists who may visit her store. She said cloth bags would cost her about $1.50 per bag.
“I’m one of the remaining low-end stores in Red Bank where perhaps one of the items I sell is a $3 poster,” she said. “I can’t give away a $1.50 bag on a $3 poster. I have been telling people if they have a shopping bag already [from] another store, I will say, ‘Do you need a bag?’ And not give one if they don’t need a bag.”
She also said it was wrong to have the ban start in July.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking people are going to do with the bags after July ’09 if they haven’t used them up,” Ciullo said. “If you’re not using them, that’s even worse for the environment. You’re just going to throw them in the landfill unused? There definitely needs to be a longer grace period to do this.”
In an interview last week, Environmental Commission Chair Louis DiMento said the commission didn’t support a full ban, but instead endorsed alternatives that support reusable bags.
“The environmental commission had recommended that instead of banning bags, we impose a fee and/or give a credit for reusable bags,” he said.
DiMento said customers could be given a nickel or dime when they reuse bags, and that would be an incentive for them to do it.
“We’ve wanted to pursue the idea of persuasion instead of banning,” he said.
DiMento said that in light of the almost unanimous vote against the proposed ban, the environmental commission wants to put it on the back burner for now.
“The environmental commission has been working hard to limit the use of plastic bags at various venues … and maybe next year we’ll try to have a fee or refund passed,” he said.
Les Hathaway, Ambassador Drive, said spending so much time on plastic bags is a waste of the council’s talent and time.
“I voted for members of the Borough Council to take care of real problems in our community,” he said. “I think this is a tiny, tiny, petty thing you’re worried about. You should be worrying about how we’re going to keep our community sound financially for the next three years.”
Donna Dempsey, a representative from Progressive Bag Affiliates, Laurel, Md., spoke against the ordinance and said some of the information included in the proposed legislation was factually incorrect.
She said the best approach to proper plastic bag disposal is to meet with people in the plastic bag and recycling industries as well as with solid waste services and local supermarkets.
Dempsey also stated that plastic bags are more eco-friendly than paper bags.
“The biggest consideration is paper bags leave a much bigger carbon footprint on the environment,” she said.
In addition she said paper bags cost more money and that cost will be passed on to the consumer.
All of the council members and Mayor Pasquale Menna commended DuPont for bringing the issue to the forefront of the borough’s attention and explained why they felt it should not pass at this time.
Councilman Arthur Murphy said the economy is different today than it was when the proposed ban was first introduced.
“I would hate to hurt our neighbors,” he said.
Murphy said he was in favor of doing more education about environmentally friendly practices.
Councilwoman Kathy Horgan said she’d like to see more discussions take place in order to reach a better conclusion.
“This is a difficult decision because I feel very strongly about banning them, but I think we’re in a [bad] situation right now with our economy, and I don’t want to make it tougher for the businesses here in Red Bank,” she said.
Councilwoman Mary Grace Cangemi said the borough should not think about hitting merchants with anything that might cost them more.
“I’m just astounded that with these incredibly difficult economic times we’re facing, this is the most important thing we have to talk about,” she said.
Menna said that while the ordinance did not pass, it did stir up conversation and has increased awareness of the issue not only in Red Bank but also in other municipalities and throughout the state.
“Red Bank has always been a leader in so many ways,” Menna said. “I do think the discussion that has generated from this particular issue has made us a leader in the field once again.”
The next council meeting is scheduled for Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Borough Hall, 90 Monmouth St.
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