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Her feet barely touched the floor as she sat before the dais, but that didn’t stop the Thomas Wharton Elementary School third grader from schooling Lancaster City Council members at their June 24 meeting as to why Lancaster city should ban single-use plastic bags.

Molly Deger, the City of Lancaster deputy director of sustainability and environment, introduced the student and her School District of Lancaster Environmental STEM Fair project on banning plastic bags.

Citing the relevance of the student’s research to the city’s comprehensive plan — specifically in relation to reducing waste and protecting natural resources, and improving environmental health and building community engagement — Deger encouraged the young student to share her findings with City Council.

Unfazed by the setting, she did:

— The average lifespan of single-use plastic bag’s usage is 12 minutes.

— The time it takes that bag to break down is 1,000 years, leaving microplastics in our water, air, soil and bodies.

— Burning plastic releases toxic gases into the atmosphere (which we all inhale).

— Plastic is toxic to marine life. By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean (by weight) than fish.

The student closed with this statement: “I did the math, and by the time I graduate from McCaskey High School, people in the city will have used 188 million bags.”

Plastic production is expected to quadruple by 2050. Rather than ramping up production, we need to provide incentives and innovative solutions for reducing single-use plastic bags before we drown in them.

City Council members applauded and encouraged the 9-year-old to “keep fighting.”

From our vantage point, this young student wasn’t looking for a fight. She was looking for City Council’s help.

Pam Lazos and Melissa Snavely - Red Rose Reuses Initiative

Lancaster