“It is great news that disposable bag use has declined since the Checkout Bag Tax went into effect,” said Jen Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council, in a statement. “We’ve all seen where disposable bags often end up – wrapped around trees and bushes, in Lake Michigan or the Chicago River, blowing around on windy days. Hopefully the reduction we’ve seen so far is a first step in getting all of these bags out of our environment.”
Chicago and Illinois Remain Committed to Achieving Climate Goals Despite Threats to Federal Funding
Environmental leaders believe grants and other sources of funding will allow them to continue cutting pollution, even if federal money isn’t available following the change