PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Representative Carol Hagan McEntee’s bill to reduce plastic bags from businesses by offering environmentally green options, and penalties for violations, was heard by the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Thursday night.
As the representative of two coastal communities, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating effects plastic bags have on our oceans and the environment over many years. Rhode Island is home to approximately 26,000 tonnes of plastic bags and film each year. It is amazing how little plastic bags actually weigh. This is why Rhode Island needs to eliminate this waste. Plastics litter our parks and clog our oceans and choke our wildlife. These particles end up in soil, water, and the air we breathe. McEntee (Dist.) stated that now is the right time to end this environmental damage and protect public health. 33, South Kingstown (Narragansett).
The bill was introduced by Rep. McEntee last year. Plastics found in local water are broken down by water current and sunlight to smaller pieces. These plastics are ingested naturally by wildlife. These plastics put Rhode Island’s fishing industry and its underwater ecosystem at risk. Plastic bags and films are recognized as the biggest contaminant both on a local and global scale by the legislation.
