Kendra Craighead
Arts Editor
Come Nov. 8, Californians will have a big environmental decision to make: Should the legislation banning plastic bags be upheld or overturned?
While certain cities and counties already have such bans in place, next month’s election will decide if such legislation takes effect statewide.
A “yes” vote on Proposition 67 will put the ban in effect statewide, while a “no” vote will mean that supermarkets can continue to offer paper – or plastic.
The concern over plastic bags mainly has to do with its impact on the environment.
“(This is) one of my favorite pieces of legislation at the moment,” senior political science major Sonia Concepcion said.
“I wholeheartedly believe it will have a significant and positive effect on our environment.”
Plastic bags would be replaced by non-disposable cloth bags or paper bags.
“There is just no safe way to use plastic bags,” Conception said.
“They end up in our oceans harming our ocean animals, and they end up being burned in landfills that only (create) to toxic gases.”
Plastic bags cannot decompose naturally.
“It’s important to attack issues plaguing our environment from all directions,” Concepcion said.
If Proposition 67 is approved, it will prohibit grocery stores from providing plastic single-use bags.
The legislation, if approved, would also provide $2 million to the plastic bag manufacturers in helping those companies retain their employees and transition into making multi-use, plastic bags from recycled material.
“I work at Sprouts Farmers Market so I’m definitely against plastic bags,” sophomore creative writing major Alyssa Sell said.
“My reasoning why is because plastic it is a harm to our climate and environment.”
Senior kinesiology major Genesis Lopez said that she would vote yes on Proposition 67 as well, because she believes that every one is capable of bringing his or her own cloth bag and reusing it, instead of creating more trash that is harmful to our environment.
“If it means that plastic bags need to be banned for earth to get better, then I vote yes,” Lopez said.
Roy Sorbel, senior biology major, added that banning them would be more effective in reducing non-biodegradable waste.
“I get paper bags whenever I’m at the grocery store because I can easily recycle it in my neighborhood recycling bin,” senior liberal studies major Jasmine Dacon said.
“Plastic bags are, of course, terrible for the environment; that’s why more bins to recycle plastic bags should be available.”
Cheyenne Mendenhall, senior kinesiology major, said that she agrees with the ban because no matter how many times you reuse a plastic bag, it still ends up in the trash and cannot be easily broken down.
“My assumption would be that they have a negative impact on the environment, so I think a ban would be a good thing,” John Abassi, a University of La Verne alumnus who graduated in spring, said.
“I don’t know the statistics on it, but it seems obvious that plastic bags are quite harmful and unnecessary.”
If approved, the measure would only allow the use of plastic bags for meat, bread and other various perishable produce.
“I do think they have potential to harm the environment if they are not disposed of properly, like how they get into the ocean, so I would vote yes,” junior economics major Sinclaire Stretch said.
Alliyah Garcia, sophomore biology major, said that she would support the statewide ban as well because of its negative effect on the environment.
Garcia supports this because she thoroughly understands that plastic bags will end up in our oceans and will contribute to our prolific addition to our trash accumulation.
“There is no reason to have plastic bags when there are options such as paper and cloth bags,” junior sociology major Danica Langaynor said.
For more information on Proposition 67 and other California ballot initiatives, visit ballotpedia.org.
Kendra Craighead can be reached at kendra.craighead@laverne.edu or on Twitter @mkendra_.
You do realize that people can still use the banned bag as long as they buy it by the box. The stores can even sell you a thicker plastic bag and say it is reusable. Now people will buy thicker prepackaged plastic to replace what the free bag used to do in waste bins, dog pooh bags etc. Nothing about this reduces plastic. The reusable option has to be used at least 127 times depending on what they are made of to equal the carbon footprint of a thin bag used once. 9 out of 10 people reuse their plastic bags. The plastic bag is also recyclable, reusable, sanitary and best in wet weather. The other bags only go to landfill. This is a scam supported by the grocery industry to make more money. Just look at who put in the most money to put this measure in.
This campaign may be helpful http://bit.ly/ITBMAIN2017
“There is just no safe way to use plastic bags,” Conception said.
Absolutely I agree.
Thanks for sharing, Kendra Craighead.