San Francisco Was the First Major City To Ban Plastic Bags. Now It's Banning Reusable Bags To Combat Coronavirus.

San Francisco Was the First Major City To Ban Plastic Bags. Now It's Banning Reusable Bags To Combat Coronavirus.

https://reason.com/2020/04/06/san-francisco-was-the-first-major-city-to-ban-plastic-bags-now-its-banning-reusable-bags-to-combat-coronavirus/

Excerpt: The world really has turned upside down. In 2007 San Francisco became the first large city in the country to ban single-use plastic bags. Now, as part of its effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, the city is banning the reusable tote bags it's spent over a decade promoting.... John Tierney argued in CityJournal recently that reusable bags have the potential to become contaminated with bacteria and have been known to transmit viruses. Early studies show that COVID-19 can also survive on plastic surfaces for up to three days. That suggests reusable bags, which are often made of plastic, might create additional risks for grocery store customers and staff. If a person brings a reusable bag from a home where someone is sick, any clerk who handles that bag could end up getting infected. And if that clerk is already sick, a bag that doesn't immediately get tossed in the trash could end up infecting the next person who comes into contact with it. (Well, as Marines say, "No shit, Sherlock!" I've been saying reusable bags are more germy for years. plus I've read it take 168 uses to make up for the energy used to make that many plastic bags. ~Bob)