5.2. ECCSR 05-18-2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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From: St. Thomas Students in Christian Faith and the Management Professions To: The City of Elk River Subject: A Proposal to Reduce Plastic Bag Use in the City of Elk River Introduction Plastic film bags are the cause of several problems and financial burdens on the city of Elk River. Littered bags decrease the appeal of the city, giving a dirty appearance, as well as blocking waterways and contaminating water. Elk River has therefore created the Surface Water Management group specifically for addressing water contamination caused by plastic bags, which costs the city $50,000 every year.i This proposal is aimed at decreasing the use and number of retail, thin film plastic bags within Elk River as well as encouraging other cities to see the benefits of decreasing plastic bag use. The reduction is necessary not only to benefit the finances of the city but also to promote a city and culture of sustainability; namely promoting behaviors that help the environment and build systems that will not needlessly waste away from improper use of resources. Since paper bags are also a burden on the environment, our overall goal is to move toward reusable bags. Removing plastic bags completely would benefit the environment, but it would potentially have a negative effect on businesses and consumers. We want to find a way for every stakeholder to benefit from the ordinance. Therefore, we propose a Plastic Bag Fee be imposed on all Elk River businesses and consumers. This fee will be mentioned later in the Charges and Fees' section. When researching this possible ordinance, we looked to examples of other cities and countries that have successfully banned plastic bags. Included in this proposal you will find the proposed fee and our plan to help the City of Elk River successfully execute this ordinance. Our overall goal is to reduce the number of plastic City of Elk River. (2014). Budget Summary.