To the Editor:

On September 18 residents of all ages gathered at Small World Coffee on Witherspoon Street for a night of Poems and Percussion organized by myself and Sustainable Princeton. The event was designed to educate residents so that they can help reduce pollution and the impact of single-use plastic bags by bringing their own reusable bag.

This November 4 Mercer County voters will have the opportunity to take action and join other communities across the country and around the world by voting “yes” on a non-binding referendum to impose a 5 cent fee on single-use plastic bags. The referendum is simply intended to gauge voter interest in this serious issue. It is an important first step in reducing the “plague of plastic pollution” that endangers our environment and our health. Fee imposition has been shown to be a very effective method to prevent the use of single-use bags.

Single-use plastic bags create immense issues for our environment, posing a threat to the health of the entire oceanic ecosystem. Many of us have been working for three years on this issue in Princeton.

On October 18 the New Jersey Environmental Lobby will sponsor an event I am organizing called “Soapbox Saturday — Shout Out on the Bag Referendum.” To be held in Hinds Plaza in Princeton, the event will offer residents a chance to share their position on the issue of single-use bags. Details can be found at http://on.fb.me/1uwUjuq.

Bainy Suri

Chestnut Street