I read with interest your article on Bellingham's bag ban.

The term single-use plastic bag is a term I believe invented by those whose motive is questionable to say the least.

Most households use the traditional plastic bag for lining waste bins in the kitchen thereby keeping trash as tidy as possible for disposal. The bag is not single-use as they would have the public believe! We are now forced to purchase bags for that purpose. I suspect people who own stocks or business that can profit from the public purchasing paper bags and cloth bags to satisfy their egregious motive disguised as environmental concern. If they are truly concerned about the environment, why are they not banning all plastic bags including those for sale in stores? Let those on the city council who voted for the bag ban prove to us that this is not a scam to profit their own pockets.

One other issue of concern relating to cloth bags replacing the traditional plastic bags is potential health hazard. People do not throw away cloth bags as readily as they do disposable plastic bags. Putting damp grocery purchase such as vegetables in cloth bags will likely create mildew which is unhealthy. The cloth bags may not be dried out thoroughly before the next use and thereby making people sick.

Alex Marr

Ferndale