We, the undersigned residents, respectfully request that the City of Salinas introduce legislation that would place a full ban on single use plastic bags just as San Francisco, Oakland, Malibu, Manhattan Beach and other municipalities have done already.
From Spring 2007 to January 2011, Save Our Shores cleanup volunteers removed over 26,000 plastic bags from local beaches and rivers, though countless other plastic bags have made their way into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Plastic is not biodegradable. In the marine environment, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller particles that absorb toxic chemicals, are ingested by wildlife, and enter the food chain that we depend on.
Around 100 billion petroleum-based plastic checkout bags are used each year in the United States, requiring an estimated 12 million barrels of oil each year. A ban on plastic bags would help preserve the integrity of our local ecosystems, reduce the burden on landfills, and cut back litter within the city premises.
For these and other reasons, Save Our Shores and the undersigned residents support a ban on single-use plastic bags within the City of Salinas. Such an ordinance is needed to prevent plastic pollution, save money, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Many other cities have taken similar action recently including San Francisco and Oakland which both recently passed bans on plastic bags.
There are many alternatives out there, such as reusable cloth bags, bags made from recycled products, bags made from starches, biodegradable polymer and other renewable resources. We thank all local representatives for their time on this and hope we can quickly and effectively establish this small change here locally.
