Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

Plastic bag ban has improved my fitness

Ban of throw-away plastic bags is not only good for the environment, but for fitness as well since many folks forget and have to make a second trip to the car to retrieve them.
Ban of throw-away plastic bags is not only good for the environment, but for fitness as well since many folks forget and have to make a second trip to the car to retrieve them. JOSH MORGAN, AP File/2014

I express my thanks and appreciation to the people of California who voted to eliminate throw-away plastic bags.

Since the election, I am much more fit and have lost weight on a weekly basis. Nary a shopping trip has gone by that upon reaching the entrance, or beyond, of the store do I realize that I have left my shopping bags in the car. I have found the walk back to my car to be exhilarating and refreshing.

Yes, I could just grin and bear it and buy a bag or two, but my back seat is already full of a better selection of bags than any one store carries. I suppose I could be better organized and focused when shopping but think of the health benefits I would lose by not walking the extra distance.

In conclusion, the extraordinary health benefit I am now accruing far outweighs the ho-hum convenience of the throw-away plastic bag!

Gerald S. Todd, Fresno

This story was originally published January 21, 2017 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Plastic bag ban has improved my fitness."

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER