Newport, as well as the entire state of Oregon, are both beautiful and unique in their own ways. But sometimes we need to go out of our way to help keep them both beautiful and unique. Measure 21-150 is designed to do just that; by getting rid of single use plastic bags in Newport, we will not only help keep our city, as well as the rest of the state, beautiful, but we will also be riding the wave of uniqueness that is gaining momentum across the nation by banning plastic bags.
Across the country, we use 380 billion plastic bags a year. That is not a typo...380 BILLION. With a capital B. It takes a tremendous amount of finite natural resources just to make the plastic bags we use here in America. Unlike plastic bags, these resources are finite and will not last forever. And, less than 10 percent of these bags are ever recycled and re-used. They don't break down in landfills, many are full of toxins and lead, and they are easily carried by the wind, often times choking the life straight out of animal species on the ground, in the air, and in our ocean. We created this. And we can un-create it. With a simple vote.
San Francisco started it in 2007. Portland has done it. Corvallis has done it. Eugene's ban begins in just 2 weeks. Now it's our turn Newport. It's a rather simple change in our behavior that will have profoundly positive lasting effects, not only here in town, but also in the depths of the sea, and everywhere in between!