• Its raining plastics. Plastic fragments are now found at the top of the Rocky Mountains and Pyrennes Mountains in France.
  
• One of the many factors contributing to the environmental inequities is the proximity of many low-income and communities of color to industrial facilities producing and disposing plastics resulting in respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, neurological damage, developmental and reproductive disorders, numerous cancers, diabetes, and other health conditions.
  
• Over 20 million pounds of plastics enter the Great Lakes annually.
• Plastic fragments are now found in the waters of St. Louis River and off Park Point impacting fish.
• An average Duluth grocery stores gives out approximately 1.5 million single use carry out bags per year.
• Our demand for free single use bags carry out bags costs an average grocery store about $60,000 per year.
  
• Duluthians use approximately $550k to $2 million dollars worth of single use grocery bags annually ( reference here)
  
• The cost to purchase one reusable bag for every citizen in Duluth is about $60,000
• Without changes, plastic production is slated to increase by nearly 40% over the next 10 years. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastics will be nearly four times greater by mid-century. 
• Americans use 1.6 straws per person a day — most of them ending up in our waterways.
• Straws are one of the top ten marine debris items.
  

What we Believe

The City of Duluth is recognized as a national leader for its support and promotion of active living and the outdoor environment. Our community has a demonstrated “love of place” for the natural beauty we share. Our City has made sustainability a governing principle in its comprehensive plan and has passed a variety of resolutions supporting environmental stewardship.Yet, as creatures of habit, good intention doesn't always translate into changed behavior.

Following the lead of cities across the United States, a diverse group of Duluth citizens, businesses and organizations have come together to support model legislation that would help shift consumer behavior and put our values into practice. It would help level the playing field for business and allow them to recover costs.  Specifically, we are calling for legislation that would encourage reusable carry-out bags and environmentally preferable food to-go containers.

This effort helps connect the different values we individually embrace, linking us as a community:

• as an outdoor City, we want to show case and keep our landscapes and water clean
  
• we are an award winning City, one that leads the state and country
• we are a City and community that cares about our children and future generations
• we are prudent and use our financial and natural resources wisely
  
• we work to minimize and alleviate unnecessary suffering to wildlife
  
• we are a City that shares an upspoken feeling about the sacred beauty and connection we feel to this place we call home
  

Fortunately, many businesses and citizens already practice many of the behaviors the legislation aims to encourage.

Add Your Name to the Pledge!

Duluth City Council: It is Time to Act!

The list of cities and states supporting initiative similar to the Bag it Duluth proposal keeps growing by the hundreds.

Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, Deleware, New York, California, Oregon have all passed state wide straw, sytrofoam and/or bag fees. 

Here are links to some select examples: In New Jersey, 28 municipalities have now but restrictions on single use bags.   Lunenberg and other cities such as Boston, in Massacheusets have joined other communities who have passed plastic bag bans.  Charleston, NC just passed their bag ordinance. Similarly, the Council in Long Beach Island, NJ  and Anchorage, Alaska  passed similar ordinances while in a November ballot initiative citizens in Chicago voted by a margin of 55% to support of a ban on plastic straws.  Do you wonder why Duluth city councilors are failing to act? Please call or email your Duluth City councilors and ask them directly. There contact information is here.