Recently in Portsmouth, there was a proposed ban on single-use plastic bags. Grocery stores would have to use paper bags or reusable bags instead. If customers do not have their own bags it will cost ten cents per bag. Violators would be fined $100.

The proposal went to City Council for a hearing on Monday March, 20th. It was voted 8-1 in favor to pass. If the ban does get passed, it will not be implemented for at least one year.

It would be beneficial, for the environment, to ban plastic bags. The plastic gets into the ecosystem and takes years to break down. Ten percent of the plastic bags made each year end up in the ocean. For the bags that are not disposed of, it takes 1,000 years for plastic to break down. Also, factories making all of the plastic bags create more pollution. There are no positive effects of plastic bags being used, especially when there are many better alternatives.

My family already uses reusable bags for groceries. We have been using the same bags for the past few years and use paper bags for recycling. If they implement the ban it would have a positive effect because everyone would start using their own reusable bags. One trillion bags are made around the world each year. Hopefully, next year Portsmouth does not contribute to the pollution.