OSU Students Promote Bag It Corvallis at High School

Students from Oregon State University's GEO 300 class gave a presentation on Bag It Corvallis at the Corvallis High School yesterday.

For more info on the current state of the campaign, check out today's story in the Gazette-Times: City staff: Don't push plastic bag ban

The City Council’s Administrative Services Committee met today to discuss the ban. Stay tuned and wish us luck...

Please Comment on City's Final Report!

Dear Friends of Bag It Corvallis,

On behalf of the Sierra Club’s Marys Peak Group, I would like to bring your attention to the City Staff’s Final Report on the “Process for Addressing Single-Use Plastic Bags.” The City will submit their Report at the Administrative Services Committee meeting next Wednesday, May 9 at 4 p.m. where you have the opportunity to comment.

The City’s recommendation is that the City Council not pursue an ordinance of any kind, but instead direct staff to look to our community partners to achieve the Council's goal. In lieu of an ordinance they will “speak with the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, specifically the Waste and Education Action Teams, about what grass-roots actions they could pursue to encourage retailers to reduce or eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags.”

City Staff also drafted an ordinance (see Attachment I in the Final Report). The ordinance lacks enforcement and they acknowledge that it “therefore is of questionable value.”

In the City’s documents the environmental, policy, or cost-saving reasons that explain the need for an ordinance is not mentioned. On April 4, 2011, the City Council adopted “Resolution 2011-06,” in support of a state-wide plastic bag bill, which listed policy and environmental reasons for the resolution and for a possible future ordinance. The Sierra Club’s ordinance “Encouraging Reusable Bags and Prohibiting The Use Of Single-Use Plastic Carryout Bags” submitted November 2011 also included reasons why an ordinance was needed. This important information should have been included in the City’s information and draft ordinance.

Corvallis is a green community, and has won many awards for this. City of Corvallis recently received Corvallis Tourism's Gaea Award, which recognizes an entity who demonstrates excellence in ecological stewardship required for sustainable tourism; Corvallis is cited as the #1 city in America for green buildings per capita; Corvallis was voted one of Sunset Magazine's favorite eco-friendly small towns. The City of Corvallis is presented with the opportunity to live up to its reputation. Single-use disposable plastic checkout bags are not sustainable and we have the opportunity of following Portland’s lead in banning them.

Because of your interest in maintaining Corvallis’s leadership in sustainability, please join us in commenting on this small but important sustainability goal. The Administrative Services Committee will make a decision on the City’s proposed ordinance on Wednesday, May 9 at 4 p.m. at the Madison Avenue Meeting Room (500 SW Madison, across from City Hall).

Thank you,

Debra Higbee-Sudyka

Marys Peak Group – Sierra Club

Plastic Problem Gets Bigger

California Watch recently published an article showing that the problem of plastic in our oceans might be bigger than previously thought:
"Plastic pollution in ocean likely underestimated, researchers say"

Bag It Corvallis Needs Your Help!

Wanted: Volunteers to help us reach our goal of 1,000 postcards! (We have 800 so far)

When: Saturday, May 5; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: The Corvallis Farmers' Market, with the Bag Monster.

The Goal: Have fun and get 200 "I Support the Ban" postcards signed.

Why: The Corvallis City Staff will hand over an ordinance to the Administrative Services Committee on Wednesday, May 9. We want to show the City Councilors (who will make the final decision) how many people support a ban.

Come Join the Fun: We'll have a "stuff the reusable bag" contest and give away reusable bags to winners. 

Contact: Debra Higbee-Sudyka, dwhigbe@juno.com , c. 541-554-6979

Bag It Corvallis Campaign Update – April

Even though there is broad support for the ordinance (we received 1300 signatures of support, and 55 signatures of support from businesses), and it will move Corvallis in a more sustainable direction regarding a single-use plastic bag habit, the City’s staff is not convinced. We need to help convince them, and remind the City Councilors why they support it. That’s why we are doing even more on the Bag It Campaign. We’re now asking supporters to sign postcards of support, which we will send into the City Council. So far we have approximately 400 postcards! Help us move Corvallis forward. We're almost there, but we need your help. Tell friends and family to come join the fun at the following events:

Public Outreach

Corvallis Farmer’s Market Saturdays, April 14, 21, and 28

• The Bag Monster will be at the Farmer's Market each Saturday, asking people to sign post cards in support of the ordinance.

Earth Fair Costume Party - April 21, 7:00 - 12:00 PM

• Tabling at Corvallis Environmental Center's Earth day Costume Party. We will have a stuff-the-reusable-bag contest with the Bag Monster. We will educate and get people to sign post cards.

OSU Earth Day Fair April 24 - 11:00 to 3:00

• Tabling at OSU’s Earth Day Fair. We will get people to sign post cards with the Bag Monster.

OSU GEO 300 Students

• OSU students tabled on the EU quad in front of the Valley Library on April 17. The Bag Monster was a big hit (check it out). They talked to students and handed out postcards for people to send in support of the ordinance.

Bag It Movie - April 25, 7:00 - 9:00

• First United Methodist Church, 1165 Northwest Monroe Avenue, Corvallis. The film follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he tries to make sense of our dependence on plastic bags and discovers its negative effects.

Business Outreach

OSU GEO 300 Students

• The OSU students are canvassing Corvallis businesses explaining the single-use plastic bag issue and getting support for the ordinance.

Volunteers

• We are continuing to reach out to businesses in April.

School Outreach

OSU GEO 300 Students

• OSU students are putting together a presentation to explain, show, and answer questions regarding the environmental issues of single-use plastic. They will present to OSU and Corvallis high schools, April 14 to May 26.

Media Outreach

Volunteers

• We need volunteers to help with the website.

Back by Popular Demand...

Americans use 60,000 plastic bags every five minutes: single-use disposable bags that we mindlessly throw away. But where is “away?” Where do the bags and other plastics end up, and at what cost to our environment, marine life, and human health? Bag It follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he navigates our plastic world.

What: Free showing of the movie Bag It

When: Thursday, March 29

Where: First Alternative Co-op, South Store, 1007 SE 3rd St., Corvallis

Time: 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Important Note: The City of Corvallis is gathering public information on Tuesday, April 3 (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.) at the Corvallis Public Library, 645 NW Monroe. Come show your support for banning single-use plastic checkout bags to encourage reusable bags!

Movie Showing Tonight

Don't miss our screening of "Bag It" tonight, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Benton County Library. Admission is free.