Over the next few months, the Ellensburg City Council will discuss whether or not to ban plastic bags in reaction to a letter sent to them on Sept. 21.

The letter requested action concerning single-use plastic bags by environmental advocacy group, Our Environment.

The council has forwarded the issue to the city Environmental Commission for recommendation.

“I’d prefer not to take a stand on the issue until we receive the recommendation and information,” said Nancy Lillquist, city council member.

The next scheduled Environmental Commission meeting is Oct. 21, and the council is unlikely to take a stance until then.

While the Environmental Commission has begun the process of making a decision, the city council is consulting the Kittitas County Solid Waste Committee for more information.

Our Environment hopes to have the bags out of use by January 2016.

If passed, the new law would require an ordinance to ban plastic bags in Ellensburg, which could take over a year.

American Progressive Bag Alliance fights back

According to Lillquist, the council also received a letter from the Plastics Industry Trade Association arguing against the ban before the Our Environment letter was received.

Lee Califf, executive director for the American Progressive Bag Alliance, argues against the bag ban and lists alternative methods to conserve the environment.

“Our industry agrees with you that litter reduction is important,” Califf wrote. “But we believe that educational efforts and recycling programs—not bans—are the most effective way to promote sustainability.”

The letter provides information from Califf that suggests the ban of plastic bags is both bad for the economy and would not accomplish the desired task.

“It is our contention that recycling represents the optimal path forward on this issue,” the letter reads.

Currently, there is no plastic bag recycling in Kittitas county.

Our Environment, founded in mid-2014, has been actively pushing for the ban of plastic bags in Ellensburg.

According to group member Martha Duskin-Smith, the group was born from the People’s Climate March–a large peaceful protest started in 2014 advocating to prevent climate change.

They focus on educating the public on environmental issues and awareness of alternative ways to consume resources.

“[We are] a local, grassroots, non-profit education and action group focusing on climate change,” Smith said, adding that Our Environment has around 40 members, and is looking to grow in both membership and outreach.

The group has been increasingly active this year, advocating and petitioning over the past few months.

In the letter to the council, they suggested alternatives to plastic bags.

Corn starch based bags, for example, are used at Better Life Natural Foods in Ellensburg and Our Environment suggests the bags could be used in other stores in addition to paper and reusable bags.

Smith outlined the importance of a ban as opposed to a recycling plan.

“Recycling is expensive,” Smith said. “[Plastic bags] cannot be dumped into the normal recycling because it has to be recycled differently.”

The group has brought their petition for the ban to Central students and have received over 200 signatures so far.

According to Our Environment, Ellensburg is the retail and population center of Kittitas county.

Ten other cities and King County in Washington have banned plastic retail bags.  

“It’s not a small problem,” Smith said. “We are responsible.”