Single use plastic shopping bags are blowing through our communities into the Mississippi River before being carried into the ocean. In 2017 Living Lands and Waters collected 8,798 plastic bags from the Mississippi River watershed, which encompasses 1/3 of the United States. 93% of Americans age 6 or older test positive for BPA (a plastic chemical) in their blood. By 2050, plastic will outweigh fish pound for pound in our oceans. And unlike other materials, plastic bags never completely decompose. They break down into smaller and smaller pieces that are consumed by fish and eventually us, posing health risks.
While single use plastic bags are recyclable, only 1% of these thin plastic bags are recycled properly and is not cost effective. The solution is to take your own cloth or nylon reusable bag every time you go shopping. We are asking that a small, 10 cent fee be place on any bag that placed on plastic and paper bags handed out at all stores and shops, gas stations, and restaurants in Edwardsville.
Please sign our petition telling the Edwardsville City Council that we don't want single use plastic bags in our communities, as they are unnecessary, costly and harmful to the environment.
Bring Your Own Glen-Ed is a grassroots organization made up of members of the Edwardsville and Glen Carbon communities who share a commitment to a healthy, clean environment.
