On the heels of a big Ban the Bag protest at city hall on Wednesday, Mayor Sam Adam’s office will release a draft ordinance “in the next few hours” proposing a single-use plastic bag ban and five cent fee on paper bags citywide.
This morning, though, the mayor’s office released the results of a poll (pdf) that they say shows two-thirds of Portlanders are in support of a plastic bag ban.
Grove Insight conducted the poll of 400 local voters, but here’s the problem: The question is obviously skewed in favor of the ban. Even though I, personally, would definitely cast my vote for a ban, I don’t think the results are accurate. Here’s the question voters were asked:
Single-use, petroleum-based plastic bags pollute our land, contribute to a swirling mass of garbage twice the size of Texas off Oregon’s coast, and continue our dependence on dangerous foreign oil supplies. Making paper shopping bags is a toxic process that pollutes our rivers. To encourage more use of reusable shopping bags, do you favor or oppose banning plastic bags in the City of Portland and requiring a 5-cent fee on paper bags?
Two issues with this.
One: Saying “swirling mass of garbage twice the size of Texas” is “off the Oregon coast” is misleading. News reports more accurately describe the Pacific Gyre (also known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” or “trash vortex”) as being 500 miles off the California coast. Yes, the massive garbage pile in our ocean is disgusting and alarming. There’s no reason to fudge the facts and be sensationalist about its location.
Two: No wonder 61 percent of people said they favor a ban, with this kind of leading question! With that kind of trash-in-your-face leadup, there’s no way this poll is accurate to determine the way people will vote if the ban is presented on the ballot. I’m all for informing people about the environmental impact of plastic bags, but in this case, the poll asks an intentionally provocative question to get the response the mayor’s office wants. Polls influence behavior, so having a poll come out early on that says two-thirds of Oregonians support the plastic bag ban cements that opinion as the mainstream.
Mayor Adams’ spokesman Roy Kaufmann disagrees, of course. He likens the lead-in to providing necessary context for the question. “The impact of plastic bags is massive, providing some context around that is important,” says Kaufmann. “Most Portlanders do not see in their day to day lives the environmental impact of these plastic bags.”
UPDATE 2:08 PM— The draft of the ordinance is now online at the slick new Ban the Bag page of Mayor Sam Adams’ site, which is headlined, of course, with the claim, “Nearly two-thirds of Portlanders support a ban.” Check out his video pitching the ban below the cut.
UPDATE UPDATE 4:47 PM—The Northwest Grocery Association, the group of businesses that would be most affected by the ban, have come out in favor of the proposition. That’s a surprise! Check out their letter of support below the cut, too.
I am floored that I see no mass outrage over this ban.
That’s what we call a [really, really] push[y] poll.”
Now I’m irked they spent whatever they did to poop out this “science” to support something that’s obviously a good idea.
But MY plastic bags are TRIPLE use!
Besides hauling stuff home, they cover my bike seat when it is raining and I am not on it, and line my (small) garbage pail.
Does that make me exempt>
Why would dishonesty out of this city hall surprise anyone? This way they can pretend they acted like they cared what working Portlanders think while ignoring them.
Well, it really is the same coast. It’s not like putting an invisible border there magically makes Oregon a different landmass than California.
@ Jim Lee: QUADRUPLE USE! They carry my lunch to work, too.
Seriously, Garbage Island is disturbing and something needs to be done, but is a straight-up BAN the best thing to do? Not for re-users, it isn’t.
The phrase “single use bag” is essentially a slang term for plastic bags of a certain thickness or skinner; I believe technically it’s referring to bags 3 microns think or smaller; but that’s a mouthful. Anyone arguing against the ban because some bags get used two or three times is also missing the point where even after those two or three uses, the bag still gets put in the trash. If we just don’t allow the bags at all, we don’t need to worry about how many uses people supposedly get out of bags.
i am a re-user as well, and applaud the efforts of other re-users, but there are very simple solutions to all the things we re-use these bags for. i am also a boater, and can say that the amount of plastic bags you see floating down the Willamette / Columbia is staggering.
hauling groceries home in disposable bags is just lazy, and figuring out solutions to your re-uses is simple. but the mess created by these bags is huge, and i am actually ‘floored’ that this is something that we didn’t do years ago.
(also, while i agree that the mayor’s poll was pushy, you should at least quote it correctly and check for your own type-o’s)
Jesus… just reread what I wrote and I’m embarassed at how many typos I put in there. Sorry everyone.
@iwiffy – I had a repeated line in the poll question, it’s fixed now. Thanks for the heads up.
No excuses, Graham. You’re outta here.
Regardless of whether the issue is approached from an economic standpoint or an environmental one, plastic bags are a net negative for Portland. Recycling plastic bags is costly and inefficient. Economically, the region’s metro recycling facilities spend upwards of $30,000 per month and 20 percent of their labor fixing the machinery jammed by the recycling of plastic bags. Environmentally, plastic bags find their way into our city’s sewer systems, our river, and our watersheds. Portlanders don’t encounter plastic bags in their natural environment at the level encountered in other cities and countries. Reminding people of the global economic impact is worthwhile. To learn more, check out 5Gyres.org.
Which businesses are referred to in condition #1? Like, Muchas Gracias, Target, Spencer’s Gifts?
Thanks for including the poll question. I hope nobody in the media cites that poll without also quoting the question in full.
I also want to know how much the paper industry is spending on this sort of a coup.
After watching that video I am in favor of banning douche bags in Portland.
I read the proposed law banning “single-use plastic bags” doesn’t that make condoms illegal ?
@Rosy Condoms are mostly made of latex, which comes from trees.
@Jim Lee and @Rosy Patty
The occasional poopbag! QUINTUPLE USE!
@Sarah Mirk
Does this apply to that annoying bag the Oregonian and their unsolicited weekly foodday or whate come in?
oops, i mean salmonpatty.