The Sarasota City Commission is considering a ban on single-use plastic straws and polystyrene. St. Petersburg, Sanibel, Fort Myers, Hollywood, Surfside, Coral Gables, and Miami Beach have already enacted similar bans.
As stated by National Geographic, it is estimated that 8 billion plastic straws pollute beaches worldwide. Although plastic straws make up a small percentage of plastic pollution found in the marine environment, banning their use is a step in the right direction.
Additionally, ManaSota-88 recommends the Sarasota City Commission determine the feasibility of reducing or eliminating the negative impact plastic grocery bags is having on our environment and our landfill.
Reducing or eliminating the use of plastic grocery bags inSarasota is necessary because:
Plastic grocery bags create a significant litter problem for Sarasota's streets, beaches, sewer system, and marine environment. It is estimated that plastic makes up 80% of the volume of litter on roads, parks, and beaches and makes up 90% of floating litter in the ocean.
Plastic grocery bags are difficult and costly to recycle or compost. Plastic grocery bags increase the costs to taxpayers by reducing the value of recycled and composted materials contaminated with plastic grocery bags. Plastic grocery bags increase disposal costs associated with the removal of plastic bags from the recycling and composting streams.
Plastic grocery bags add cost to the city’s street cleaning programs and stormwater sewer maintenance programs.
According to the Worldwatch Institute, nationally only 0.6 percent of plastic bags are recycled, and Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags annually.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, plastic bags endanger wildlife by polluting land and water, and it takes more than 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down in a landfill.
The environmental damage caused by plastic bags is significant. The taxpayers are currently subsidizing the production of an unnecessary waste product and this is unacceptable.
Sarasota City Commissioners can be contacted here.
Additionally,Rethinking Plastic provides excellent information about the problems associated with plastic pollution in Sarasota.
Glenn Compton is the Chairman of ManaSota 88, a non-profit organization that has spent over 30 years fighting to protect the environment of Manatee and Sarasota counties.
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