I am an Iowa City native and over the years, I have seen many changes to better the environment, but we are not doing enough. A lot of stores around the area are offering cloth bags and people do use them. Help pass a resolution that would ban the use of plastic bags in Iowa City. Plastic bags are flimsy, cheaply made, and most importantly an unnecessary environmental hazard considering many eco-friendly options exist like paper or canvas shopping bags. Every year, 15 billion pounds of plastic are produced in the U.S., but only 1 billion are recycled.

We are at a point in time where we need to start making changes in our community and set an example for the rest of Iowa and the US as a whole because to make plastic bags we are collectively using about 12 million barrels of oil each year. This would help keep Iowa City beautiful and push for a more sustainable society. Lots of these bags end up in lakes, oceans, streets, landfills, or the trees. Not only are cloth bags better for the environment but they are easier for carrying groceries, are more sustainable, and they last a very long time.