Plastic grocery bags bad for environment

To the editor:

On a recent drive north of Interstate 380 from Cedar Rapids, I was shocked to see the amount of trash in the ditches. Since the snow had melted and the old grass was matted down, every piece of trash shown like a sore on what could be a beautiful landscape. Our state two lane roads and county blacktops suffer from the same scourge.

I don't know what percentage of the trash is plastic compared to the part that is paper. The paper will decay into organic matter. Plastic is the problem that will plague us. It doesn't decay or rot.

Despite laws about tossing trash in the ditch and fines that could be leveled if caught, people continue to toss trash out car windows, that seems to be human nature.

We need to take action to ban the plastic bags before the problem becomes worse. The paper grocery bag is a usable option, but I know people, myself included, who like the loops on the plastic bags for carrying them. There are fabric alternatives I have seen some of the Internet that are insulated for frozen foods and meats that would be a plus on hot summer days.

No doubt there are some products that for reasons of sealing from air or water that still must be packaged in plastic material, but eliminating the plastic grocery bags would be a step in the right direction.

Frank Zieser

Cedar Rapids