With the new year came a new wave of sustainability in Athens. Residents and students can be spotted walking out of grocery stores and retail shops holding reusable tote bags or brown paper bags, but no single-use plastic bags are in sight.
The city of Athens officially implemented a single-use plastic bag ban Jan. 1. An ordinance to reduce single-use plastic was introduced by council member Alan Swank and passed unanimously May 1, 2023.
The initiative to ban single-use plastic bags started with dedication and a community organization, Athens ReThink Plastics.
According to Melanie Moynan-Smith, a member of Athens ReThink Plastics, the group was formed in 2019 and aims to educate the public about the health and environmental hazards surrounding single-use plastics.
"Our lobbying efforts helped persuade Athens City Council to draft and eventually adopt the single-use plastic bag ban," Moynan-Smith wrote in an email.
According to Moynan-Smith, leading up to the ban, Athens ReThink Plastics visited 90 local businesses, providing information and distributing stickers for business entryways that read, "Wait! Remember, Bring in Your Bags." The organization has visited local food pantries, homeless shelters and free meal sites and set up booths outside stores and events, giving out nearly 3,000 upcycled reusable bags.
"They did a really great job of telling the story and educating the public," Swank said.
Celia Hawk, a sophomore studying environmental studies, said Athens ReThink Plastics and Athen's plastic bag ban have been inspirational. Last semester, Hawk helped to found the Ohio University chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a campaign of young people helping to combat the climate crisis.
"I'm really glad that they've been able to go so far with their efforts and I think it's really inspiring, especially since I co-started the Sunrise Movement on campus," Hawk said. "I hope to make as much progress as they've been able to make."
Hawk hopes the Athens ban will set a precedent for other cities and inspire more single-use plastic bans.
Plastic bags were not widely used in America until 1979, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Hawk is confident people can adapt to the ban, returning to a reality where single-use plastic bags are not the default.
With the plastic bag ban officially in effect, Swank said the process has been fulfilling. He noted benefits would include less strain on natural resources and less litter within the city of Athens.
"Probably the greatest reward is seeing more and more people every day actually bring their own bags to the stores and then carry their groceries home that way," Swank said.
Despite enthusiasm from advocates and officials, local business owners have raised concerns. Swank said that to aid small businesses in the transition from plastic to plastic-free, the city has set up a $5,000 fund.
Additionally, the state of Ohio has raised concerns about the constitutionality of the plastic bag ban.
The Ohio Attorney General's office filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Athens on Dec. 27, stating the single-use plastic bag ban, "violates the Ohio Constitution, infringes on the rights of its citizens, and causes irreparable harm" and "will be detrimental to the City's stores and vendors."
Until a resolution is met, the ban is still in effect. Athens ReThink Plastics and officials are celebrating the new policy while addressing concerns.
"We are taking a positive approach when dealing with public concerns, seeking to provide easily understandable explanations for why it's good to eliminate single-use plastic bags," Moyan-Smith wrote in an email. "We see this as a first step toward a healthier, sustainable world for future generations."
