Lexington should move forward to propose an ordinance to reduce single use plastic waste in our city. 

In Lexington, one doesn’t have to look far to see discarded plastic bags: they line parking lots and creek banks, they catch in fencerows and the tops of trees, and they even occasionally float by on the air. Bottles, cups, straws and other single use waste can be found in ditches and along every major thoroughfare.  This isn’t a great look for the Horse Capital of the World. 

The bags and other plastics are not only an unbecoming and an unwelcome addition to our landscape, plastic waste is known to be a cause of ecological devastation, human health problems and could contribute to species extinction.

Furthermore, it is expensive to dispose of single use plastic, which by-and-large is difficult to recycle in Lexington. Plastic bags, styrofoam, baggies, coffee cup lids, and their kin that do make it to a trash bin take up vast amounts of space in our landfill. 

Countries all over the world, from the United Kingdom to Kenya to South Korea and France, have already implemented single use plastic legislation. In the United States, 8 states have banned single use plastic; 148 cities have some form of plastic bag legislation, 5 cities have a plastic bag fee, and DC taxes plastic bags. 

Lexington has the opportunity to lead Kentucky in environmental stewardship by limiting single use plastic and the waste it creates.