Doylestown residents show support for single-use plastic ban

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - A recent survey found that residents of a borough in Bucks County would be in favor of a town ban on single-use plastic items. These poll results come as more communities around the nation have enacted a similar ban.

An overwhelming majority of some 2,200 Doylestown residents and business owners say they would be willing to sacrifice single-use items such as plastic bags, straws and strofoam take-out containers.

"I think there is so much interest in this issue all over, and a lot of the people who filled it out were people who came into Doylestown to do business and go to restaurants," Doylestown Borough Council Wendy Margolis said.

Francis Frederico, owner of Boccadito restaurant, is one such Doylestown business owner who is against single-use plastics.

"No plastic cups, no plastic bags, the to-go we give is recycled paper product, so we are very conscientious what's going on," Frederico said.

Residents are echoing a similar message.

"I believe there's a lot of education and a lot of information out there," Sharon Spickler said. "People just aren't paying attention to it until it starts affecting people."

Other residents think the town should start penalizing for using things like plastic bags at grocery stores.

"I was just at the super market and I didn't see a lot of people bringing their own bags into the market, and in Europe they charge for plastic, and its about time we start doing something like that," Bill O'Neil said.

While no ban has been implemented yet, the poll results show that Doylestown may soon join the growing list of communities nation wide that have banned single-use plastic items.