Utah State University students rally together to support plastic bag ban
Logan residents packed the city council chambers Tuesday night to express their opinions on the proposed plastic bag ban, filling all the available seats and overflowing into the lobby.
The ban, proposed by councilmember Herm Olsen, would prohibit Logan stores from distributing single-use plastic bags or otherwise receive a fine up to $250 for the first violation. The fine would increase for multiple violations.
“It’s time that we lead on this issue,” Olsen said. “Waiting on the state legislature is a forever prospect. We can’t solve all the problems in our community, but we can solve one of them.”
Based on a raise of hands in response to a public commenter asking who had come to support the ban, a majority of the residents in the room attended in support of the ordinance.
Several commenters argued for more sustainable alternatives, such as paper bags or reusable tote bags. One Logan resident carried an armful of tote bags with her to the podium, saying many of her bags cost less than $2 or were given to her for free as promotion items. She gave each council member a tote bag her husband had sewn as a gift.
Common arguments in favor of the ban included concern for the environmental impact of plastic. Single-use plastic grocery bags are not biodegradable and commonly contribute to recycling contamination. Residents also argued that littered plastic bags or bags that are blown away from landfills create an eyesore in the community. A landfill attendant stated that of the litter that is blown away and picked up by community service workers, the “vast majority” is plastic bags.
Robert Davies, a physics professor at Utah State University, referenced a decision the council had made in 2007 to invest in renewable energy over coal, a choice he called “courageous” and “visionary.”
“This is a chance for Logan to really shine and be a model,” Davies said to the council. “Lots of evidence shows that it can be done and done well. There are certainly reasons to modify [the ordinance], but no reason to abandon the effort.
“Council has made visionary decisions before. I encourage you to do it again.”
Several residents also expressed concern over the ban, particularly for small business owners and for the city’s right to enforce such a ban.
Julie Gortler, owner of a children’s clothing store called Little Sprouts Resale Boutique, said paper bags are expensive for businesses to provide instead of plastic bags, and that many of her customers need bags with handles so they can carry both their children and purchases to the car.
“I’m already working 60 hours a week with no paycheck,” Gortler said. “I can’t even imagine adding a couple hundred more dollars for paper bags. They’re just not an option for me right now. I feel like we should have the freedom to choose.
Another resident argued the term “single-use” is inaccurate, since they can be used again and can be recycled. He also argued that creating a ban in only Logan will compel residents to take their business to stores outside of the city.
Other residents argue the timeline in the ordinance is not realistic, and that businesses would need more than a couple of months to implement a ban. The owner of Lee’s Marketplace said, “We love the community and want to make Cache Valley beautiful. We want to support Logan city and our landfills, but we need some time to do it.”
Councilmember Jeannie Simmonds said she was in favor of banning plastic bags, but also described herself as a “realist in terms of politics in Utah.”
Simmonds said a state-wide ban had been proposed in the past and was defeated in the state Senate. When it was proposed a second time, it never got out of committee. Another bill followed that would ban cities from being able to ban plastic bags, which Simmonds said went through the senate and was then defeated “in the last hour” by the house of representatives.
“Those people are back, and they do not want our communities to be able to make this type of legislation,” Simmonds said. “This year, they have some backing from the petroleum industry. It’s going to be an interesting challenge. This is a conversation this state needs to have, and I encourage you to take this passion and speak to the state legislators.”
Councilmember Jess Bradfield expressed a strong disapproval of the ban, saying he believes the issues is important but not urgent, and that the city should trust citizens to make their own decisions.
“If this passes, we’re telling businesses that we don’t care about their opinion and we’re willing to gamble their money,” Bradfield said. “We should issue a challenge rather than mandate, and I trust businesses will rise to that challenge.”
The council agreed to have the environmental department explore the idea of a waste fee, in which businesses would pay a surcharge for plastic bags or charge customers for bags. The department will address broader county issues as well.
Council unanimously passed a motion to table the ordinance for six weeks until their second meeting in March, in which they may continue discussion and vote.
“Plastic is a huge problem” Olsen said. “This is just a small component of it. But how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. This is our first bite.”