This week, the Wood River High School Environmental Club lost their bid to ban disposable plastic grocery bags in Hailey, Idaho.
The club spent nine months working on the student-led ballot initiative, which also specified that paper bags had to be made of at least 40% post-consumer material and exempted plastic bags for packaging bulk items such as nuts and grains and for wrapping meat, fish, plants, baked goods and medicines.
Not surprisingly, the proposed ban drew major opposition. Plastic bag maker Hiley Poly launched a local “Bag the Ban” website, hired a lobbying firm and took out television, radio and newspaper advertisements warning. The Idaho Mountain Express argued that eliminating plastic bags could raise grocery prices and lead to even bigger landfill problems with paper bags.
In an unsettling statement, Hilex Poly vice president Mark Daniels said that Americans “have the wisdom to see beyond misinformation and understand the harmful effect banning or taxing bags has on jobs and on the local economy,” Of course, he didn’t mention the harmful effect that NOT banning or taxing bags is having on the environment.
We applaud the initiative and determination of this club and wish them luck in their future endeavors. Thanks for your work!
