Gainesville’s ban on all plastic waste products This idea has been on the radar for more than a year. Gainesville officials first brought up the idea of banning single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam containers over a year ago, and now, we are finally starting to see a change. Gainesville’s plan is to become a “zero-waste city” by 2040. This would call for an increase in recycling, composting and reduction of greenhouse gases. There are many alternatives to using plastic products. For example, many people use metal straws rather than plastic. Another example is when you go to the grocery store, instead of using a plastic bag from the store, bring your own reusable bags to use each time. I think this opportunity is relatively easy to exploit because people are already starting to change. I’ve always recycled plastic bottles and cardboard in my house, and now I’m making more efforts to start being better about my choices with recycling and reducing the plastic that I use...