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Earth Matters urges Hutchinson City to ban single-use plastic bags
Summary
Carla Kenyon, speaking for a local interfaith group, asked the council to enact a citywide ban on single-use plastic bags, noting environmental harms and that Kansas state legislation that would have preempted local bans was vetoed.
Carla Kenyon, representing Earth Matters, urged the Hutchinson City Council during public comment to pursue a citywide ban on single-use plastic bags used by retailers in Hutchinson.
Kenyon described Earth Matters as a nonprofit multi‑faith ecological group representing multiple congregations and said the group distributed 1,400 canvas bags around town as part of a Hutchinson Community Foundation grant. She warned that single‑use plastic bags take centuries to break down, fragment into microplastics and enter food chains and waterways. Kenyon referenced state-level activity: she said the Kansas Legislature passed a bill that would have blocked local actions but that the governor vetoed it, "citing her strong support for local control and home rule," leaving municipalities free to regulate single‑use plastics.
Kenyon offered the council reusable bags to distribute and asked for "serious consideration to implement a single use plastic bag ban in Hutchinson, Kansas." Mayor Meggers accepted the bags and thanked her for the presentation. No council motion on the ban was on the agenda; Kenyon’s remarks were taken during general public comment.
Members of the public later reacted positively to the group's outreach and encouraged the city to consider the policy options Kenyon outlined.
