For every action there is always a reaction. Watch for the unintended consequences. I'm sure there's another one liner or two we could throw in there.

First off, this proposed ban on plastic never should have been on the ballot in Bozeman, Montana in the first place. They didn't even get enough signatures to qualify the ban for the ballot, but the radical environmentalists threatened to sue the city and their willing accomplices in local government didn't even put up a fight and forced it on the ballot anyway. (Sue and settle is a frequent problem with our federal government as well)

So there you guy, as Forbes reports- a California-Style Bag Ban is On The Ballot In Bozeman.

The most obvious concern if this ban moves forward is the increased cost to local small businesses and eventually increased costs to the consumer. Look at how much inflation is eating people's lunch already, now you want to raise prices even higher by forcing businesses which type of products to purchase?

Here's another angle, according to some reports- it would also be WORSE for the environment if Bozeman were to ban recyclable plastics. In addition to sanitation concerns, The Mountain States Policy Center also featured this info in one of their reports:

The United Kingdom’s Environment Agency released a report in 2011 that highlighted the carbon impact of paper, reusable plastic, and cotton bags is higher than single-use plastic bags. In fact, scientists said you’d need to reuse a cotton bag more than 130 times to have an impact on the environment.

Similarly, researchers in Demark in 2018 concluded cotton bags are far more environmentally harmful than plastic bags.

 

I spoke with Erin Hass, the Director for the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance recently on the radio. Here's a few different conversations we have had concerning the Bozeman plastic ban ballot initiative, including our chat with Erin Hass:

LOOK: Food and drink items that are highly restricted or banned in the U.S.

Stacker explores snacks and other food items banned in the U.S. From tasty cheeses to the famed Scottish dish haggis, these 30 foods aren't welcome in most of the United States.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

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