LOGAN, Utah — City council members have come up with a ban and a resolution—the ban is not permanent but will hopefully motivate companies to create their own plastic management plan.
“We’re not all out there throwing plastic on the ground and saying that it doesn’t do something to the environment,” said Jess Bradfield, who’s been a council members for two years.
Looking at their landfill, council members Bradfield and Amy Anderson said they realized the plastic that was floating around was not grocery bags — rather bags used by retailers.
“Every retailer will tell you that their products come wrapped in plastic,” said Anderson.
The question is, how do they get rid of it?
Anderson said if companies can’t come up with a plastic management plan then the plastic bag ban will be going into effect to manage plastic for them.
“I recognize that many of our residents view this as kind of an infringement on their right,” said Anderson. “My hope is that by placing the ban, it will put a plan in place.”
Bradfield opposed the ban but supported the resolution for companies to come up with their own management plans.
“We are all hoping that the free market comes up with better solutions moving forward and we are trying to incentivize the free market,” said Bradfield.
The ban does not include bags provided by pharmacists to contain prescription drugs, newspaper bags, door hanger bags, laundry-dry cleaning bags, or bags sold in packages containing multiple bags for food storage, garbage, pet waste or yard waste.
Other exceptions to the ban can be found here.
If the ban goes into effect in 2020, business owners could be fined for using plastic bags.
“In Logan is plastic a problem? No, it is in coastal cities and states,” said Bradfield. “Do we want to be filling out landfills with plastic that will last for generations? No.”
