Proposed “Bring Your Own Bag” / Plastic Bag Ban

An effort begun by Beverly High School students and supported now by a group of citizen volunteers is picking up steam to have Beverly join over 60 other Massachusetts communities — including Salem and Manchester-By-The-Sea — in banning single use plastic bags in retail stores.  Instead of focusing on “banning”, the group is focusing on “bringing”, as in “Bring Your Own Bag”.

City Councilor Estelle Rand is working with the group and is in the process of drafting an ordinance to put before the City Council sometime soon.

The Massachusetts legislature also included a plastic bag ban provision in the budget bill passed in May.  If it becomes law in August as scheduled, single use plastic bags will be banned statewide for all retail establishments larger than 3,000 square feet.

More information on the local Beverly effort can be found on the “Beverly Bring Your Own Bag” facebook page.