Prohibition on plastics needed to protect environment

Recently, a six-ton, 33-foot-long sperm whale washed up on the shore of Spain after dying from the 64 pounds of plastic found in its intestines, which included bags, nets, ropes and food containers.

The massive amounts of waste our economy encourages us to make, use and toss is killing our wildlife. Nothing we use for 5 minutes should be allowed to have such a dramatic and lasting effect on our planet. Often, we don't think twice about getting our coffee to-go in a foam cup, or food in a foam takeout container.

Currently, 70 million plastic foam cups are estimated to be disposed by Americans every day. Of these, about one-third end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Animals like birds and fish mistake broken pieces of plastic for food, causing stomach blockages and, ultimately, death by starvation.

To protect our wildlife and our waterways we need to dramatically reduce our plastic waste. We can start by banning foam cups and takeout containers in Iowa.

Kennady Lilly

Des Moines