Franklin High junior Alycia Felli has started a plastic bag ban petition to limit the amount of plastic bags in landfills and promote efforts for global sustainability.

The petition proposes alternative solutions to plastic bags, such as easily decomposable paper bags and eco-friendly reusable bags.

Why is this important in Franklin? This petition is the first step to protecting the various ecosystems on our planet.

“I believe it’s necessary for consumers to be aware of their actions, and the effects that their actions can have on not only the environment, but their health and the health of the future generations”, says Alycia.

Each plastic bag can take 20 to 1,000 years to decompose, and throughout its decomposition, harmful chemicals (such as HDPE) are released into the environment.

This chemical can clog soil on land, preventing plants from growing due to poor water absorption. Additionally, these bags can clog the digestive tracts of marine animals who ingest them by accident, severely inhibiting the marine ecosystem.

These bags are also produced using fossil fuels, resources that are already limited globally. The production of plastic bags also creates solid waste, along with CO2 gasses.

Alycia hopes to limit these environmental detriments with a tax on plastic bags, to encourage use of more eco-friendly alternatives.

“Franklin is filled with consumers who want to make a change town-wide, and I believe this policy reflects the concerned attitudes of many residents. This is the first step towards a greener and more sustainable Franklin”, confirms Alycia.

This plan follows the Cambridge, MA plastic bag ban, called the “Bring Your Own Bag”,  where each plastic bag would be an additional 10 cents.

The petition currently has over 300 signatures, quickly approaching its goal of 500. Many of the supporters are students from Franklin High, showing the popular push toward environmental preservation in the younger generation.

“I signed this petition because I believe that plastic bags are unnecessary environmental hazards that can easily be phased out from not only Franklin, but surrounding towns and cities”, say FHS Junior and petition supporter Katelyn Pokorny.

On June 8th, Alycia will present her petition and propose the ban to the Franklin Town Council.