Portland Ban the Bag

Single-use plastic bags represent one of the greatest environmental catastrophes of our generation. It is estimated that 60-80% of all debris in the ocean is plastic, and 80% of plastic in the ocean is land-based. Plastics take hundreds of years to break down at sea and most types never truly biodegrade. As a result, marine animals often get entangled in the debris or mistake it for food. In Oregon (and the world!) the very first volunteer beach cleanup was held in 1984 under the title "Plague of Plastics", calling historical attention to the rise of plastics in our oceans and on our beaches.

Around 100 billion plastic checkout bags are used each year in the United States, requiring ever-increasing demands on our finite natural resources. Sadly, less than 10% of these bags are recycled each year and cities, counties, and non-profit organizations must pay millions each year to clean up plastic litter.

For these and other reasons, the Portland Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation supports a ban (or 20 cent fee) on single-use plastic bags within the City of Portland. Such an ordinance is needed to prevent marine debris, save money, and reduce our dependence on finite natural resources. Many other cities have taken similar action including San Francisco, San Jose, LA County, Maui, Edmonds WA and even Washington DC, Westport CT, Brownsville and South Padre TX - all which have passed ban or fee ordinances on plastic bags.