It's not easy being green.
And until more Iowa counties join in the effort, Marshalltown businesses and their customers will get to keep their ever-so-handy plastic bags.
After much discussion, the Marshalltown City Council concluded Monday that a local ban on non-compostable carry-alls would be more trouble and cost than its worth unless more is done on a state level to necessitate the change.
"I really feel like this ordinance has no teeth," said councilwoman Andrea Maxwell. "It's going to make us feel good, we can get in the newspaper for being the first county in Iowa [to enact an ordinance] but is it really going to make a difference?"
All wholesale or retail stores located within city limits would have been required to offer recyclable, compostable paper, or reusable bags to its customers had the ordinance gone up for approval.
A similar ban was recently imposed by the county upon two businesses outside of Marshalltown.
Various members were concerned about the number of store owners that could be impacted by switching exclusively to Earth-friendly bags.
Hy-vee Store Director Ric Anderson said the change would double the store's cost and "eventually, all expenses get passed on to the public."
Mayor Gene Beach said he received phone calls from some living outside the area, saying they enjoy shopping in Marshalltown - specifically at stores offering the bags, and did not want to bring harm to the local economy.
"We need to consider that aspect as well," he added.
Regular plastic bags can take several lifetimes to decompose and in Marshall County, therein lies the problem, according to councilman Bob Wenner.
"With ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) standards for compostable bags, that will not be the case with our landfill the way we manage it as a covered landfill," he said. "We can pass this, but it's not going to make one bit of difference to the landfill."
But for now and rather than placing burden upon businesses, the council suggested going back to a common sense approach with more education toward litter awareness and recycling efforts. As well, grocery stores could do more in the way of offering greener alternatives.
"For me, it goes back to the litter-versus-bag itself, and combating litter in town will make more progress," said council member Bethany Wirin. "And I'd love to see stores do more to encourage reusable bags."
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Contact Tammy R. Lawson at 641-753-6611 or tlawson@timesrepublican.com
