 |
| Reusable shopping bags (Photo credit: Luca Penati) |
 |
| Reusable Bag 3 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Councilwoman
Gerrie Schipske is asking for a report from the City Public Health Officer
concerning educational efforts by the Health Department to inform grocers and
their customers about the need to clean reusable bags that may be the source of
bacteria. An agenda item asking for the report will be heard in early March.
“The
City enacted an ordinance banning plastic bags at stores as a way of
encouraging the use of reusable bags,” says Schipske who is a Registered Nurse
Practitioner. “Recent studies indicate
that the reusable bags may be the source of E.Coli and other bacteria which
cause serious illness and infection, if the bags are not washed and disinfected
between uses. Additionally, after carrying meat, poultry and other items,
customers apparently are often returning their bags to the trunks of their cars
where increased temperatures can speed the growth of bacteria from these
fluids. Some customers use their bags to also carry clothing and shoes which
adds to the transmission of bacteria.”
Schipske
feels that as with any public health matter, “it is critical that we inform,
educate and empower residents about health issues in our community. It is
important that our Public Health Department provide information through the
stores about the need for proper cleaning and disinfecting of reusable bags in
between uses.”
Schipske
notes that the Loma Linda University School of Public Health (after finding 12%
of the reusable bags they sampled at grocery stores positive for Escherichia
coli) recommended that the “public needs to be educated about the proper care
of reusable bags by printed instructions on the bags or through public service
announcements.” (An example of a brief public information video can be accessed
at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsw-ErFM2lc
Although
she opposed the banning of plastic bags and would have preferred an aggressive
recycling program, Councilwoman Schipske believes that if the City wants to
continue to make this environment effort successful, “it is important that,
through our own Public Health Department, we add this educational component to
keep our residents safe.”
#30
