A broad slate of environmental proposals that would ban plastic bags from city grocery stores and add a 10-cent deposit for all types of bottles purchased in Baltimore came under fire Thursday at a citywide hearing.
The measures, sponsored by City Councilman James Kraft, include banning plastic bags and Styrofoam cups, and adding a 10-cent deposit for plastic and glass bottles of soda and beer ? all part of an aggressive green agenda touted by Kraft, solidifying his reputation as the council?s environmental crusader.
Painting the proposed laws in broad strokes, Kraft likened his efforts as similar to confronting the threat of Nazi Germany prior to World War II.
“We don?t want to be criticized by future generations for not doing enough now as were those who dealt with the Germans then,” Kraft said at a hearing in the headquarters of the Living Classrooms in Fells Point.
“We have to think ahead.”
But city business owners, arguing they are struggling with higher energy costs and an increased sales tax, disagreed.
“I use one pallet of plastic bags every two weeks as opposed to 12 pallets of paper bags over the same time period,” said Jim Street, owner of Harvest Fare, a grocery store in Hamilton. “It?s going to add $87 per year to the grocery bill of my customers on average.”
Steve Mitchell,president of B Green groceries, which owns and operates a Food Depot in southeast Baltimore, agreed.
“It?s going to increase prices for low-income people, those that can least afford it and can?t travel out of the city to shop.”
City bar owners blasted Kraft?s bottle-deposit proposal.
“I have 2,000 empty beer bottles and 300 empty liquor bottles after an average weekend,” said Mark Furman, owner of Max?s on Broadway. “Where am I going to store all of these bottles?”
Frank Boston, head of the Maryland Licensed Beverage Association, said a deposit could be the final nail in the coffin for small bars struggling with a smoking ban.
“The best way to describe this is as an undue burden.”
