The debate about single-use plastic bags is heating up in Durango. Naysayers object on various grounds. But the yeas have it. Here are some of the arguments against a bag ban, as well as answers to them:

1. Banning single-use plastic bags is too small an issue to make a difference.

a. The United States uses 12 million barrels of oil a year to make 100 billion single-use plastic bags.

2. There is no economic benefit to getting rid of them.

a. Retailers save an estimated $4 billion a year.

b. We save 12 million barrels of oil a year.

c. Eight billion pounds of plastic bags enter our waste stream every year, and we spend tax money dealing with it all.

3. We’re creating an inconvenience for tourists, with potential negative economic impact.

a. None of the towns in Colorado, the United States or anywhere in Europe have experienced any lost tourism after banning plastic bags. When was the last time you planned your vacation based on whether your destination would provide you with single-use plastic bags?

4. People do reuse plastic bags for other purposes, some of which would likely require purchase of other bags.

a. Reusing bags isn’t the only issue. The issue is that they don’t go away after we throw them out. They stay in our environment, causing toxic waste for 1,000 years.

5. A bag ban would interfere with personal freedom.

a. The right of a person to have a single-use plastic grocery sack does not supersede the right of another person to have a healthy environment.

6. Having a fee on bags is just another tax. (Durango is still debating a ban vs. fee.)

a. If we did levy a fee, we could use the money to fund the trolley deficit and/or other public services.

b. Everyone would have the choice to pay the fee or bring a bag. If you don’t want to pay the fee, bring a bag with you.

Zahra Lightway

Durango