I am a Virginia Beach local since 1994, and I have been continually disheartened by the number of single use plastic shopping bags (aka grocery bags) that I see in trees, at the beach, and in the streets. A lifetime of surfing and a 7 year tenure as an Advanced Placement Environmental Science teacher has made me uniquely aware of the urgency with which we must act to protect both our economy, our health, and our environment. There are several reasons why we must begin acting on single use plastic manufacturing and use, but I will curate my top 3 and give you some reputable sites to check for yourself.

1. We need to diminish the creation of microplastics which are ending up in our food chain, water, and the air. This negatively affects our health and puts the health of future generations at increased risk.
2. Plastic litter has a direct path to the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay via our untreated/unfiltered waste water system. Yes, everything that is washed down a storm drain ends up directly in the water where it immediately causes damage to the coastal biome.
3. By protecting our local habitats, we also protect a main source of local revenue--tourism. 

No need to trust me, just read here:

Top reasons stop using single use plastics

Microplastics

More about single use plastic (University of Colorado)

Once I receive at least 1,000 signatures, I will take this mandate to present to the Virginia Beach City Council along with VB's state representatives in the hopes of a proposal being developed and passed to ban single use plastic shopping bags.

*Please sign only if you are a resident of Virginia Beach. If you are not a resident of Virginia Beach, your assistance in sharing is still greatly appreciated!

FAQ's

1. How exactly would this work legally speaking? In order to propose and enforce a ban, first a bill would need to be passed at the state level to allow this as a municipal option. Once this is done, we would be able to make the proposal for the VB city council to vote on.
2. What would be used instead of single use plastic bags? There are actually several biodegradable plastic bag options manufactured here in the US that could fill this gap.
3. Why not utilize the municipal tax option already available? This option already did not pass once, and I find it hard to believe that a business would pay for a bag which a municipality would then collect a tax on. I commend the state legislators on creating an option, but I fear it is not quite what is needed.