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Lindsay Gramana: Plastics are ugly and unhealthy

I value California’s rivers, lakes and wilderness. Almost every time I venture outdoors, I see at least one piece of trash — and it’s almost always dog poop bags or plastic materials.

Scientists confirmed that tiny microplastics are in Lake Tahoe and our snowpack. This means they are everywhere, and they are potentially contaminating our drinking water and our food. Plastics are ugly and unhealthy.

I’ll admit that when my husband pushed me to reduce my plastic waste and switch to reusable water bottles and shopping bags several years ago, I was reluctant to change. I preferred the convenience of buying a bottle of water at the store or requesting bags at the grocery store rather than taking time to plan ahead. However, now I’ve gotten into the habit of bringing these items with me, and I appreciate the cost savings and decreased garbage. As airports, stores and parks increasingly offer water stations, it’s easier for me to refill my bottle when I’m on the go.



Sadly, I can’t fix California’s single-use plastic problem by myself. In order to significantly reduce our plastic pollution, we must significantly reduce the volume of plastic that is manufactured. Therefore, I request Sen. Dahle and Assemblymember Dahle’s support of SB 54 and AB 1080 — the California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act.

We need to protect the health of our beautiful state, including our people, agricultural products and nature. As an added perk, communities will save money spent on litter cleanup and waste disposal. The economy will benefit from the creation of new green jobs.



Lindsay Gramana

Truckee


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