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. 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 petroleum-based plastic checkout bags are used each year in the United States, requiring an estimated 12 million barrels of oil each year. Sadly, less than 5% of these bags are recycled each year and cities, counties, and non-profit organizations must pay millions of dollars each year to clean up plastic litter.

For these and other reasons, the Portland Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation supports a 20 cent fee (or ban) 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 fossil fuels. And, the fee must be sufficiently high to shift consumer behavior and produce the desired conservation outcomes. Many other cities have taken similar action recently including San Francisco and Oakland which both recently passed ordinance bans on plastic bags.