Manufacturers crafted most of the items in the Columbia City Council meeting room dozens of people filled Tuesday night out of plastic. Lile called it an "amazing" substance, but said its power was being misused by the topic of the forum he and the Environment and Energy Commission held.
"It's a shame to be throwing it away in a single-use product," Lile, the chairman of the commission, said about single-use plastic bags. "A product that's used for twenty minutes, possibly once more to line a trash can, and then thrown in a landfill."
The commission held the forum to explain its idea for a citywide ban on certain stores handing out plastic bags. The proposed ordinance would prohibit stores with perishable items, such as grocery and pharmacies from giving the bags out at checkout. It would also put a ten-cent fee on any paper bag the shopper receives.