Kids Ask Town To Add Tax On Single-Use Plastic Bags

DILLON, Colo. (CBS4) -- When Miguel Castillo, Satori Adnan and  Vasilya Nosirova found plastic bags littering a local trail they wanted to do something to help. They had no idea their school project would turn into a community-wide rally call.

"My parents were shocked. They never thought my group would be in the newspaper or on TV. We just thought it would be a small thing, just go to the town council, they was just say yes or no, and we are done -- but that didn't happen," Nosirova told CBS4 Friday.

The group presented their plan to add a tax on single-use plastic bags to the Dillon town council. They collected hundreds of names on a petition and now their summer break won't be much of a break.

"We wanted to do something easy, but not too easy, so we thought this was good," Castillo admitted.

The kids presented their plan to add a tax on one-time use plastic bags to the Dillon town council and the council has signaled support for moving forward with their suggestions.

"I would feel successful because we tried something it worked out project," Castillo added.

The school project won't end when they leave for summer break in a few weeks. A committee is forming to tackle the next steps and the town leaders want to make sure these kids are front and center.

Similar plastic bag taxes are already in place in neighboring Breckenridge and Vail. Several Roaring Fork Valley towns also have joined the bag tax movement. Currently three states have statewide bans on the bags and the kids would like Colorado to be the fourth.