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Steamboat Springs Considers Joining Other Mountain Resorts That Ban Plastic Bags

Katatonic28
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The Steamboat Springs City Council heard multiple proposals on Tuesday to ban plastic bags within city limits.

The ban was proposed by the Steamboat Springs High School Teen Council. They’ve been researching the topic for the last year. Andrew Petersen presented their case. He says it’s important for his generation to make a difference.

“If we don’t tackle this now, when? Because we are the ones that are going to be dealing with some of the issues that we’re facing now,” said Petersen. “So, us taking the initiative is just setting the precedent for the future.”

The teen council members modeled their proposals after similar bans in other mountain resorts, such as Aspen, Breckenridge, and Telluride, said Petersen.

The environmental organization Center for Biological Diversity estimates Americans use about 100 billion plastic bags a year, and only about 1 percent of those are recycled.