Contributed by Carol Montgomery, Chairperson of Mat-Su Zero Waste Coalition, Plastic Bag Committee
Congratulations Wasilla! The ordinance to ban single-use plastic grocery bags less than 2.25 mil. has passed the Wasilla City Council with a vote of 5 to 1. The Council received 48 written comments, all but one of which were in favor of the ordinance. Public testimony at the Council Meeting was 2 to 1 in favor. This was the third largest turnout for a Wasilla City Council meeting ever. Thank you to Mayor Cottle and the City Council for responding to this outpouring of public opinion and for all the work you did researching and learning about the harms caused by plastic bags.
The main opposition to this ordinance was not to argue the damage done by these bags, but to question the role of government in regulating them. Government regulation should always be considered carefully, and I appreciate the City Council’s thoughtful analysis of the pros and cons of this issue. In the end, this regulation is a minimal restriction on anyone’s freedom. Stores are still free to hand out whatever bags they want, as long as they are not the flimsy ones that fall apart, require double bagging and get caught up so easily in the wind.
In preparation for when this ordinance goes into effect, the Mat-Su Zero Waste Coalition Plastic Bag Committee will seek funding for free, reusable bag giveaways, similar to what we did in November at Carrs/Safeway and Fred Meyers. I don’t think many people will miss those flimsy bags, and thanks to the City Council, I think everyone will take pride in a cleaner city and a healthier environment.
