Most of us know that plastic debris is an environmental problem we need to solve. According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to make. The American Progressive Bag Alliance, which represents the plastics industry, estimates that only 15% of those bags get recycled properly. And the California Coastal Commission calculates that roughly 80 percent of all marine debris is plastic, which never biodegrades.
There are now five major garbage patches, or gyres, in today’s oceans, covering millions of square kilometers. Thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals die every year from ingesting plastic or getting entangled in it. And plastics are finding their way into the food chain.
Here in Brattleboro, Dr. Tim Maciel has spearheaded an advisory article voters will decide on March 7. It proposes to ban single use plastic shopping bags that are neither recycled nor recyclable - those lightweight plastic bags grocery stores now provide free of charge. Pay-as-you-throw trash bags or produce bags are not affected.
Brad Borofsky, co-owner of Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, is sensitive to environmental issues and after researching bag materials, he found a sturdy #4 recyclable plastic bag that was thought to biodegrade. But low oil prices affect the recycling markets, so #4 is currently not accepted in many facilities.
For shoppers to bring their own bags is one solution, but tourists rarely travel with them. Borofsky worries that a per-bag fee might propel customers across the Connecticut River to sales-tax-free New Hampshire.
So he’s determined to find a solution that combines convenience with environmental sensitivity.
Patrick Pezzati owns Turn It Up, a record store in Brattleboro. He says the ban, which is already law in Northampton where he has another store, is a good idea, but it presents problems if for instance you buy a rare record when the weather’s bad weather and don’t want it ruined. So his clerks ask if the shopper wants a bag - paper or plastic - and the store also sells reusable bags.
Hannaford Supermarkets have stores in areas where bags have already been banned and in areas with pay-per-bag fees.
Eric Blom, Hannaford spokesperson, says the ban is a community decision – and the company will simply work with whatever the town decides.
