Kudos to the Bag Ban

Dear Editor,
    In Amy Smith’s article “Then There’s This: In the Bag” [News, March 1], it was thrilling to see Texans implementing sustainable practices. Trash pollution is a major problem both on land and in the oceans. The bag ban not only helps Texas, but it helps the Gulf Coast. Plastics travel throughout the land and the oceans by wind, ocean currents, and gyres. Plastics do not biodegrade and are therefore one of the biggest threats to the oceans. A lot of the trash used on land travels to the world’s oceans and harms marine ecosystems and marine animals. Thousands of seabirds and marine mammals die each year from ingesting trash or becoming entangled in plastic. Reusable, biodegradable bags are a big step in the right direction. After hundreds of uses out of a biodegradable bag, it breaks down naturally and doesn't leave harmful chemicals behind. Texas’ effort is a great start to implementing sustainable practices and provides the stepping-stones toward a better environment.