Missoula Residents Eye Single-Use Plastic Ban

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Missoula residents are working to get a single-use plastic ban on this year’s ballot.

Jeremy Drake is a zero-waste consultant and now one of the organizers behind the push to limit plastic in the Garden City.

“Generally speaking, plastic recycling is not the solution, but more specifically with the materials that we’re targeting in the Missoula plastics ordinance, there’s no viable recycling option for those to begin with, Drake, a co-organizer with MT Plastic Free Missoula, said.

The ban would apply to polystyrene containers such as Styrofoam, as well as single-use plastics like grocery bags, if the ordinance makes November's ballot and is passed. Plastic straws and drink stirrers would still be available if requested by a customer.

A similar effort by the same group, Montana Plastic Free, is underway in Bozeman.

Drake and those in Missoula have until Aug. 19 to collect more than 8,500 signatures from registered voters. That's nearly 1,700 signatures a week.

Volunteers have only collected 760 verified signatures after six weeks, Drake told NBC Montana. This is why the effort created a GoFundMe to support a more robust petition gathering effort with MONTPIRG, a student-directed group.

Concerns over plastics go beyond what can be seen, Drake said.

“The reason that this is happening now is not only pollution in Montana's waterways and natural environments, but there’s emerging science around microplastic pollution all over the planet including in human bodies,” he said.

Microplastics likely come from a variety of sources, Drake said, adding that any reduction in plastic is a good thing.

Drake encourages the public to attend a documentary on microplastics, titled “Plastic People,” being shown 5 p.m. next Monday at the Missoula Public Library.

 Courtesy: www.nbcmontana.com