Plastic bags are choking our ocean, piling up in our landfills and filling our streets with litter. In 2017, there are many environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic bags. This petition is to urge the Government of Guam to pass a ban on the use of plastic bags by all hotels, restaurants and other businesses. The goal of this petition is to completely ban plastic bag usage on-island in the next few years by encouraging businesses to find alternatives to plastic bags over time. Guam can no longer sustain the amount of plastic waste we produce, and banning plastic bags is a big first step in ridding our beautiful island of unnecessary waste.

Did you know? Americans alone discard more than 30 million tonnes of plastic per year, with only around 8% being recycled. More than 5 trillion plastic pieces are now floating in our oceans, with over 260 different species of both marine and terrestrial animals proven to have accidentally ingested these plastics.
Many cities or countries have already banned plastic bags or have begun taxing for their use. In Ireland, a small plastic bag tax for consumers led to a 95% decrease in plastic bag usage country-wide. Let's make Guam a more progressive island by taking charge of this issue and setting an example for the rest of the world.

Step 1: Set deadline: Waste-free Guam, alongside the Government of Guam will come together to set a realistic timeline for when businesses and organizations should no longer offer plastic bags to consumers

Step 2: Set fines: Waste-Free Guam, alongside the Government of Guam would like to set firm fines for businesses that do not follow the deadline of the plastic bag ban and decide how the collected fines would be dispersed in the community

Step 3: Alert Guam businesses and organizations of the deadline and offer resources for appropriate alternatives to plastic bags

Step 4: Community outreach for consumers on how to prepare for the absence of plastic bags

Step 5: Embrace a plastic bag free Guam!