Bagging Plastic

As cosponsors of the City Council bill to reduce plasticbag waste, we’d like to correct inaccuracies in “The City Council’s E. Coli Fans,” by Brad Gertsman (Post-Opinion, July 31).

Gertsman’s claim that reusable bags “promot[e] E. coli” is based solely on a “study” funded by the American Chemistry Council — the plastic bagmakers’ trade group. Consumer Reports notes the study looked at just 84 bags, and found little contamination: “A ‘person eating an average bag of salad greens gets more exposure to these bacteria than if they had licked the insides of the dirtiest bag from this study,’ says Michael Hansen, senior staff scientist at Consumers Union.” Reducing plasticbag waste won’t create any public health risks.

And it won’t hurt small business. Retailers will keep the 10 cents they charge for each carryout bag, just like any other product.

The 10cent charge will give us all an incentive to cut down on wasteful bag use — New Yorkers use over 5 billion carryout plastic bags every year — just as it has done successfully in many other cities. The result: trees, gutters and landfills free of plasticbag waste.

Don’t let lobbyists or plasticbag manufacturers pull the plastic over your eyes. Margaret Chin Councilmember

Manhattan Brad Lander Councilmember

Brooklyn