A plastic cup sits in the driveway to the Wawa at Sumneytown Pike and Valley Forge Road in Upper Gwynedd on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. Photo by Dan Sokil | The Reporter.
The discussion surrounding the use of single-use plastics in Lower Gwynedd Township will continue in May.
Earlier this month, the Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) conducted an open discussion to educate residents on the environmental impact of plastic bags, discussing policies, alternatives and sustainable practices. Representatives from Ambler Borough, Montgomery Township, and surrounding areas were in attendance.
“It was a great discussion,” said Sandi Feight-Hicks, Recreation Director of Lower Gwynedd Township. “Attendees learned a lot. We had great people to answer questions. We had several restaurants discuss the impact it would have on their restaurants.”
Now, the EAC will be discussing what it learned from the event at the Lower Gwynedd Township board meeting on May 15. The township is looking into the impact that banning plastic bags, plastic utensils, and straws, among other uses, will have in the area.
“Once the EAC meets, they have a lot of things to take into consideration and to discuss,” Feight-Hicks said. “This was just the first step in their outreach with the community. Having an opportunity to engage with the community first, to talk, answer questions and hear concerns, is the best way to approach something like this.
“There are so many things to consider, not just plastic bags at the time of check out,” she added. “We need to take into consideration plastic straws, plastic flatware, expanded polystyrene, bags fees at the time of check out (will those fees cover the businesses cost?)?
Single-use plastics are commonly used for packaging, food containers, and other disposable items like straws, bags, and cutlery, due to their convenience, cost-effectiveness, and ease of manufacturing. However, single-use plastics are a major source of pollution, ending up in landfills, waterways, and oceans, where they break down into microplastics that contaminate soil and water. Single-use plastics can pose significant harm, impacting wildlife, the environment, and human health through pollution, chemical leaching, and the creation of microplastics.
“We’re looking into how other municipalities have handled the single-use plastics,” she said. “Have they just done the plastic bags? Have they done fees for the bags? Have they put a ban on Styrofoam?
“We will see what our May meeting looks like and what the EAC decides to do next,” Feight-Hicks said. “We're nine square miles. We do still have a lot of mom-and-pop businesses. In addition, there's also a lot of businesses in the township that have already started taking that eco-friendly approach and switching from plastic bags to using paper bags or even not even using bags.”
