Bellingham is Asked to Bag It!

We launched a local effort to reduce single-use bags in Bellingham just over a week ago and now our town is being asked to bag it! First we had an article in our local paper, Bellingham Herald which generated 345 online comments, mostly a debate between reactionary thoughts to this idea and people saying get over it, it's about time. Yesterday, the Herald ran a letter to the editor that represented the ordinance as a tax, stating it as a fact. The Herald apologized online for mistakenly running this letter, and made a correction in today's paper, stating their mistake and thankfully stated that the 5 cents is a cost of the bag that is paid to the retailer when you want a bag. It's evident that our education and outreach plan will be helpful. Bag It Bellingham is launching this effort in partnership with WWU Associated Students Environmental Center with bringing the award winning documentary "Bag It" to the WWU Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 1st, 7 pm.

Today, film posters are going up around the city and soon people in bag monster costumes will pass out invites around town.

Help spread the word, we have 600+ seats to fill at the theater! It will be a fun evening of awareness raising and action generation!

If you are on facebook, please share this facebook event with your friends:
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116985241712439

Below is of the last comments posted in response to the Herald article...from "Kimi Kim":

"For those who are saying that this proposal would hurt our local economy, or that it is a tree hugger proposal, try reading the proposal first! This proposal, as is, is a wonderful way to help our local economy by helping businesses save money (especially since food prices are ridiculously high!). They would be saving money by not having to buy SINGLE USE plastic grocery bags (which costs plenty for grocery stores), they would be making money when customers use paper bags (a fee that would stay in the company and not go anywhere else). Further more, if customers do not want to spend the nickel under their couch, they can ask for a cardboard box that grocery store have from unpacking their wine, produce, drinks, etc. The Market and the Co-op does it and it save the city money by not having to recycle as many cardboard boxes. Also by using the cardboard boxes right after the items are unpacked, less energy is used to recycle it.

This proposal helps our local economy by helping our local businesses!!!!

for those who are anti-"tree hugger" educate yourself on this proposal through an economical stand-point!!!!

For those who are tree huggers, think about all of the energy that is spent in the process of creating single use plastic bags and the end result of that single use plastic bag.

Everyone, think "Why is single use plastic bags named "Single use"?"

Federal, state and local economy is going through budget cuts!!!!

From a local standpoint, this proposal will be great because it will NOT cut local jobs, the city will have to deal with less waste (whether it is single use plastic bags in privet homes or cardboard boxes if grocery store are resourceful), and we will help support our local businesses stay in business!

REMEMBER! THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR SINGLE USE PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS!!!! PLASTICS IN GENERAL!!

Oh and by the way, Bellingham is falling behind in it's reputation for a green city! Let bring that back!!!"