plastic bag punA hearing took place on January 15th to consider whether Cupertino will join 25 other California cities in prohibiting the distribution of free single-use plastic carryout bags. The meeting will debate the environmental effects of plastic bags and whether a 10 cents charged should be required for paper bags offered by retailers.

Many California cities support the ban due to the negative impact plastic bags have on the environment such as the polluting of water channels and killing of marine animals. As well, the high economic cost cities must spend to haul and cleanup discarded plastic waste from sewers and oceans could have been put for better use such as funding better infrastructure and encourage entrepreneurial efforts to come up with alternatives to plastic. Cupertino is looking to improve their green trash hauling and recycling efforts, and the city is open to the ban of plastic bag to cut down on trash removal needs.

Whatever Cupertino decision comes to, Fast Haul supports environmentally friendly initiatives and healthy debates about these topic.