Pursue statewide ban on plastic bags

Thirty-six thousand feet under water, near the lowest point of the Pacific Ocean’s deepest trench, scientists last year reported finding something floating amid the coral, jellyfish and other life forms — a plastic bag. It was the latest proof, if any were needed, that nowhere on Earth is there a respite from our decades of addiction to plastic, specifically the kind of oneuse-only, nonbiodegradable instant trash of the type we use to carry groceries.

In other words, this goes far beyond Connecticut. That does not mean, though, that we don’t contribute to the problem. As such, multiple local municipalities have moved to prohibit single-use plastic bags, and last week Big Y, which has 30 stores across the state, announced it would phase them out in its stores by next year.

Now the issue is under discussion at the state level . Lawmakers have submitted a pair of bills to take on the plastic-bag problem, with one banning them outright and the other charging a fee for their use. Funds raised from the fee, which would also apply to single-use paper bags, would be used toward environmental causes.

Both should be discussed, but ultimately a statewide ban on plastic bags at grocery stores is the right choice. There’s simply no justification for the kind of waste the bags produce in comparison to the gains they provide.

A 5-cent fine is not enough of a disincentive. Already many stores offer a 5-cent-abag rebate for using cloth bags, so the change would be insignificant.

Many people won’t like a ban, but they will adapt. Already Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich and Westport have voted for bans or fees, and discussions are underway in New Haven, Hamden and Branford, among other places.

The use of plastic bags is on the way out, and a statewide approach, rather than a patchwork of various local regulations, makes more sense for everyone. The Connecticut Food Association is on board, too.

Oppositions to a ban need to be discussed, but ultimately shouldn’t sway lawmakers. It’s true that reusable cloth bags, a common plastic substitute, need to be cleaned on a regular basis, but that isn’t too much to ask.

The argument that a ban is disproportionately hard on low-income people should be considered, too. To deal with this problem, paper bags should be available to anyone who wants them. It’s not a perfect solution, and paper bags present their own environmental problems, but they beat the alternative. And we’re certainly never going to find a paper bag on the bottom of the ocean.

The truth is that no matter what policy is enacted in Connecticut or anywhere else, plastic bags are here to stay. Long after anyone reading this is gone, the same plastic bag you see stuck in a tree outside today could be stuck in a storm drain in the next state. This is not about solving a problem — it’s about trying to stop making it worse.

The use of plastic bags is on the way out, and a statewide approach, rather than a patchwork of various local regulations, makes more sense for everyone.