©eflon (via Flickr)
December 14, 2018 (BOSTON) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) announced today that the organization plans to push for legislation banning single-use plastic bags in all six New England states as part of its campaign to eliminate plastics in the region. The news comes as Boston’s city-wide plastic bag ban takes effect today.
“There’s no reason why single-use plastic bags need to be a part of our daily lives,” said Kirstie Pecci, Director of the Zero Waste program at CLF. “Most bags end up filling our landfills, littering our communities and waters, and polluting our air when burned up in incinerators. The citywide ban in Boston is a good start, and we must also ensure that any ban does not burden our elderly or low-income neighbors. We have a real opportunity to end this waste and pollution throughout New England and we must act now.”
Plastic bags are created from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource, and take hundreds of years to decompose. They litter our streets and parks, forcing local governments to spend money on clean up efforts. Bags also end up in our soil, rivers, and oceans.
The proposed ban would make New England a leader in addressing climate-damaging pollution, reducing trash and food waste, and increasing recycling. It would prohibit stores from providing single use plastic bags. Customers would receive paper bags or bring their own reusable bags instead.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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