When the city of Homer passed the single-use bag ban I did my best cartwheel.  

Oh the sweet victory of common sense legislation, of indisputable action. I  wasn’t shocked that our town leaders would pass a landmark law. I beamed with pride knowing that Homer is, yet again, the progressive and  conscientious community that we love. 

When I hear naysayers (and I hear less and less grumbles in the check-out line) I want to remind them that those  free bags they love so much aren’t free: We pay for them one way or another. Or fervently say that a single-use bag is not “recycled” when  used as a trash can liner; it’s just putting off the bag’s inevitable trek to the trash. (Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but a person rarely needs a trash can liner.)

Most importantly I want to drag them to the dump or the beach to see all the single-use bags that are polluting our area. 

There are  islands of plastic bags growing in our ocean. And that’s the issue most closely linked with our beach community. We live for and on the ocean. I am happy to say that our town is now less of the problem and more of the  solution. 

I love the bag ban. I think it’s good for Homer, good for the environment, good for us. I encourage you to support the bag ban in the polls Oct. 1. 

Rachel Allmendinger