DuPage County Plastic Bag Ban

We, the Fourth Graders of Mrs. Bazon’s Classroom at Anne M. Jeans Elementary School in Willowbrook, Illinois, would like to adopt an ordinance that would place a ban on single use plastic bags. We would also like to see a fee on all other single use bags, such as paper. After learning about the harmful effects that plastics have on the environment, we know how devastating plastics are. They are a serious environmental risk. As plastics make it into ecosystems, the plastic is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces. These plastic pieces contain harmful chemicals, are ingested by wildlife, and can enter our food chain. Around 100 billion petroleum-based plastic checkout bags are used each year in the United States. The production of these bags requires an estimated 12 million barrels of oil. A ban on plastic bags would not only preserve our local ecosystems, reduce trash in our landfills, help reduce litter around our neighborhoods, but could really be a beginning to preserve our nonrenewable natural resources. There are many alternatives to single-use plastic bags. Some examples are reusable cloth bags, bags made from recycled products, and bags made from biodegradable materials. For these, and other reasons, our classroom would highly support a ban on single-use plastic bags coupled with a fee on other single use bags. We thank all local legislators and local businesses for supporting this important cause!