Company survives students’ plastic bag initiative

High school students in Hailey, Idaho, lost a bid on Tuesday to ban plastic grocery bags, garnering 620 votes as compared to the 854 votes against their measure.

But the students of the Wood River High School Environment Club aren’t giving up. “Even though this is a disappointing loss, we’re going to try to keep our heads up, and maybe go directly up to Ketchum and try to do it there,” high school junior Lex Shapiro said.

Their student-led ballot initiative met with big-spending resistance from the plastic bag industry, notably Hilex Poly, which operates a bag recycling and manufacturing plant in nearby Jerome.

Hilex Poly Vice President Mark Daniels said the company “applauded” voters and remained committed to working with Hailey residents to increase recycling.

The company, which has waged similar fights around the country, had launched a local “Bag the Ban” website, hired a lobbying firm and took out television, radio and newspaper advertisements, warning that 125 jobs at the Jerome plant could be jeopardized if the ban were adopted.

Students responded with their own low-budget campaign, including an opinion piece in the Idaho Business Review.

The students aren’t done. In nearby Ketchum, Shapiro said, “we already have a bunch of supporters,” and one grocery store there is already bag-free.