No More Plastic Bags

It�s time plastic bags went the way of the dinosaur � extinct! These disposable, toxic bags are an environmental hazard and a consumer of oil. We are collectively using about 12 million barrels of oil to produce the plastic bags that are used each year. That�s outrageous.

Help put an end to this unnecessary pollution. Write a letter to your city council member and encourage them to ban plastic bags in your community.

San Francisco led the way by banning them in 2007. Start local by asking your city to join the growing list of cities putting an end to toxic pollution. Take action today!

This action is a public petition.

Petition:

I am writing today to ask you to help pass a resolution that would ban the use of plastic bags in our city. Plastic bags are an unnecessary environmental hazard since 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. At a time where many people are trying to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we are collectively using about 12 million barrels of oil to produce the plastic bags that are used each year. Many of these bags end up on the streets and sidewalks or caught in tree branches. Others wind up in rivers and streams, where they are washed out to sea.

Once these bags end up in the oceans, they join other types of plastic trash from around the world and are often swept up in currents to make its way to enormous whirling eddies of trash. The largest, near Hawaii, is more than a thousand miles across and contains more plastic than plankton. Plastic bags and other bits of floating debris are mistaken for food by seabirds, turtles, and other marine life. Up to 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles die each year as a result of plastic debris.

We can break ourselves of the plastic bag habit. Some governments and retailers have begun taking steps to phase out plastic bags. San Francisco banned them in 2007, and several countries have either banned or taxed the use of plastic bags. Whole Foods announced plans to drop plastic bags by Earth Day, 2008, and gives customers a small discount if they bring their own bags.

I hope that our city can be another shining example of environmental responsibility. I encourage you to take a stand and add our city to the growing list of cities and towns that are banning plastic bags.

(Please only click once.)

Privacy Policy: We will send you updates by e-mail. You can remove yourself from the mailing list at any time. Read the full privacy policy here.

Report a Problem Sign up to newsletter

702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 462-1177

No More Plastic Bags

Petition:

©