Plastic is an amazing thing. But like many things, we’ve reached a point where our use of it has gone way too far. It’s clear from production to its disposal that single-use plastics ruin our health and our environment. They damage the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, and oceans. They comtaminate our lungs, the breast milk of women, and disrupt male hormones. And quite clearly, they choke and lead to the starvation of animals. The magnitude of the problem is huge.
As the LA Times editorial board says, “It’s going to take more than a smattering of bans on single items to cure society of its disposable-plastic habit. The sheer volume of plastic trash now littering Earth has become impossible to ignore. It’s time for environmentalists, policymakers and elected officials to start planning a broader response: phasing out all single-use plastic, not just the most pernicious.”
Recently, Ferguson Township has started exploring a plastic bag impact fee or ban. I am committed to making this happen in a way that is informed by the facts and that allows our businesses to understand their options before we do anything. It’s critically important that we all understand that we have to do the right thing and that to do the right thing we need to get on the same page.
Ultimately, though, the problem is huge. It’ll require not just a change in ordinances and impact fees. It’s going to take a revolution in the materials industry. Our policy will be a clear communication to those industries that we want that change.
Peter Walks for Democracy 