If the Plastic Bags Delivered with the San Francisco Chronicle
In 1 Year Were Piled onto a Football Field. . .

How High Would that Pile Be?
And How Much Would They Weigh?

Paul Goettlich / Mindfully.org 18nov04

Also see:
San Francisco:
Save Over $300 Million by using Reusable Bags at the Supermarket !
PAUL GOETTLICH Op-ed / SF Chronicle 24jan2005

Census 2000 Housing Unit Count for San Francisco and California

Geographic Area 		Housing Units
California 			12,214,549
San Francisco County 		   346,527
San Francisco city		   346,527

Note: The city and county are the same geographic area
source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/hunits/ 18nov04

Home delivery of San Francisco Chronicle to households in San Francisco

Monday-Friday	 398,600     (79,720 daily x 5)
Saturday	       *      * unkown
Sunday		  80,872
Total (week)	 479,472 
		     ×52 weeks
Total (year)  24,932,544
		     ×75%
	      18,699,408    (accounting for day with no bag)

Assume that 75% of these home delivery papers are delivered inside a plastic bag,
    then there are 18,699,408 plastic bags left at households within the City of San Francisco each year.

Since 730 of the San Francisco Chronicle bags weigh approx. 20 pounds,
    then the total weight of the plastic bags delivered to households in the City of San Francisco equals 25,615 pounds per year.

Since the volume of 730 bags equals 6.5625 cu ft,
    then the volume of plastic bags delivered each week by the San Francisco Chronicle equals 168,103 cu ft per year.

If a football field measures 160 ft X 300 ft (48,000 sq ft.),
    then the plastic bags would cover that field to a height of roughly 3 ft-6 in high.

I personally collected all the bags at my home over about two years. I also personally counted and weighed them. 

Consider that the San Francisco Chronicle is but one of many dailies that are home-delivered with plastic bags. With just this one newspaper, the pile that accumulates in just one year covers that football field by 3'6". Many people get the Wall Street Journal, the Oakland Tribune, and a wide range of other newspapers and magazines on varying schedules.

The accumulated pile is actually quite tall and approaches a mountain when all plastic waste is dumped on that football field. And it's really nothing short of a miracle that the city can find a place for it all. The waste handling and recycling managers must be commended. But they have just about reached the end of their ability to increase efficiency and productivity. 

When one realizes that less than 1% of all plastic produced is recycled, it is very disturbing. Also remember that the very term "recycling plastic" is an oxymoron. A more proper term would be reuse because it is only reused a few times before it breaks down and is no longer reusable.