With the new hatred of technology and convenience at a fever pitch, our local plastic bag ban crowd is back!
We defeated this unnecessary drive years ago, and every clear-thinking resident needs to push back on an unfounded myth.
Yes, plastic in the ocean is real and needs to be stopped and cleaned up – but most of the plastic bags in Durango get used for trash can liners, cat box cleanup, dog poop cleanup and I have even seen our homeless use them to keep their feet dry inside their shoes.
None of the bags from our grocery stores end up in the ocean. If they are not recycled, they end up in the safe, lined landfill in Bondad.
Are we going to ban the thin bags we put our tomatoes in? Perhaps the green dog poop bags? How about leaf and trash can bag? Try setting your fall cleanup leaves on the curb in a large paper bag and see how that works out.
A study from the Danish EPA in 2018 states that “single use plastic was less detrimental than cotton totes or even paper bags when it comes to how their manufacturing affects climate change, ozone depletion, water use, air pollution and toxicity for humans.” We can use the common plastic bag without regressing to the 1930s – and we need to stop scaring our children with untrue statements about using plastic grocery bags. How about attacking the real culprits, in China and India?
Arthur WymanDurango
