Prairie Village considers a plastic bag ban. When will other cities follow suit?

The era of the plastic grocery bag may soon be coming to a welcome end, at least on one side of the state line.

The Prairie Village City Council is discussing a ban on single-use plastic bags at retail establishments. The city is right to pursue the plan, and other cities in Kansas should follow its lead.

The proposal, which could change after public input is considered, includes:

▪ A broad prohibition on plastic bags in retail businesses, including grocery stores and restaurants, with a ready-to-eat exception

▪ A required fee, probably 10 cents, for reusable or recycled paper bags; the store keeps the fee

▪ A six- to 12-month rollout, with an unspecified hardship exception

A similar Prairie Village discussion fell apart several years ago, when the idea of banning plastic bags seemed more controversial. Since then, the public has become much more aware of the damage to the environment caused by plastic.

There can be no doubt that single-use plastic bags cause harm that will span generations. Studies suggest it can take 400 years or more for a plastic bag to break down, and even then, small toxic particles remain, infecting the food chain, waterways and soil.

Eventually, some plastic bags and bag particles end up in rivers and oceans. The bags contaminate the water, harming fish and wildlife. They’re a clear and present danger to the health of the planet.

According to estimates, 80% of the nation’s grocery bags are plastic. Prairie Village stores use more than 150,000 plastic bags each year. Nationwide, Americans cart home their fruits and vegetables in more than 100 billion plastic grocery bags annually.

That’s why hundreds of cities and eight states have banned plastic bags, and others are thinking about it. Some big grocery chains are discontinuing the use of plastic bags. The trend is unmistakable.

To be sure, all consumer bags, including reusable paper and cotton options, have an impact on the environment. It’s undeniable that other plastic-based modern conveniences, including plastic trash bags, disposable diapers, soda pop bottles, newspaper bags and plastic beverage rings present their own environmental challenges.

But we have to start somewhere. Banning single-use plastic grocery bags would not cause an undue hardship for most, and it would be an important step toward a healthier world. Kansas cities should pursue this simple but consequential remedy.

We’d like to make the same recommendation for Missouri, but in 2015, dictatorial state lawmakers specifically told cities and counties they could not ban plastic bags. At the same time, the state guaranteed retailers the right to offer plastic bags to customers.

In doing so, the Missouri legislature pulled off a neat trick: It insulted local governments, while simultaneously degrading the state’s environment. A regrettable two-fer.

Missouri lawmakers should move into the 21st century by repealing the statute and letting local citizens make up their own minds. In the meantime, Kansans can exercise their independent judgment by urging city council members to move forward on this issue.

The Prairie Village City Council is considering one path. There may be others. But removing unnecessary plastic from the environment is a small but important environmentally-friendly strategy that should be pursued now.

This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.