Illinois Passes Law Banning Both Plastic and Paper Bags
Quickly following California governor Jerry Brownâs banÂ on plastic bags in his state, Illinois lawmakers announced that they would not be âout doneâ, and quickly passed a law banning both plasticÂ andÂ paper bags from grocery and department stores throughout the state.âFor some reason, there has been talk for years in several states, with California leading the way, of banning plastic bags â and only plastic bags,â said Illinois congressman Aaron Silver. âI understand that the use of oils for creating something that people throw away almost instantly is a waste, but apparently these other states arenât aware that it causes more environmental pollution and total waste to create paper bags over plastic.âEnvironmentalists agree with Silverâs stance on the topic. Science professor at Chicago University Myles Kent was at the forefront of getting paper bags banned along with plastic throughout Illinois.âJust for paper bags alone, more than 14 million trees are cut down annually,â said Kent. âIt takes almost 4 times as much energy, and causes almost 70% more air pollutants to make a paper bag than it does to make a plastic bag. Banning plastic is nonsense. If youâre going to ban one, you really need to ban the other.âConsumers who learned of the impending changes to their grocery routine were confused and outraged, many wondering what they plan on replacing the bags with so that they can get their food back to their homes.âDo they expect that Iâm just going to carry all my groceries out to my car and then haul them into the house without bags? Itâs completely absurd. At this point, Iâd pay more just to be able to keep the bags. Isnât that a damn trip? Pay more for something I used to get for free,â said Destiny Brown, a Chicago resident we spoke to outside of a Price Chopper grocery store. âI swear, Iâll just rip the damn pillowcases off my kidâs bedsÂ and Iâll use those. There is no way I can shop without bags.ââPillowcases are a pretty good idea,â admitted Silver. âWe havenât yet thought about what the bags would be replaced with, really. It has been suggested that you sew together your old clothes into make-shift bags.Â Pants with deep pockets might work for small trips. We also urge consumers to consider just tying a bandana to a stick, hobo-style. Itâs worked for them for eons, thereâs no reason it canât become a trend amongst environmentally conscious consumers.ââItâs just that damn government controlling how we live, once more,â continued Brown. âAt this point, I might just shop for groceries and other items online and have them delivered â or are they outlawing cardboard shipping boxes in this state, too?âSilver said that the whole point of banning both paper and plastic bags is to send a message that âthe environment is good, and ruining it is bad.ââWe really need to save this planet for future generations. They will need oil for other, more important things than bags, like getting around in cars or making kitschy plastic gifts. They will need trees for climbing, and building tree houses, and for clean air to breathe and that sort of thing. We need to protect the people from themselves, and from harm. Thatâs what we do. Weâre the government, and we make decisions for you.âWhen asked, Silver had no comment about the possible future legislation of cardboard boxes.Â