Please vote “Yes” on the Single-Use Plastic Carry Out Bag Ordinance on the ballot at the Kennebunk election on June 16.

And here’s why: When plastics break down, they do not biodegrade. Instead, they break down into fragments that contaminate our natural resources. This process is called photo-degrading, meaning sunlight and water break it down to smaller and smaller pieces that are mistaken for food by fish, sea birds and marine mammals. When we eat the fish, we ingest that plastic.

A similar ordinance went into effect in Portland in April of last year. York became the first Maine community to approve a ban on plastic shopping bags in November of last year.

As of May 2016, 31 Massachusetts cities and towns, representing over 11 percent of the state’s population, have passed a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags. The city of Cambridge is the largest community on the East Coast of the United States to have passed a local ban.

Towns across the country have passed a similar ordinance.

This is an international problem. In 2008, China banned the use of ultra-thin plastic bags, and it is estimated to have eliminated 40 billion bags in the first year. Ireland placed a fee on plastic bags and reportedly reduced consumption by 90 percent.

For a healthier environment, please vote “Yes” on the Plastic Bag Ordinance.

Sassy Smallman
Kennebunk