Across Massachusetts, 120 communities have passed laws reducing or banning single-use plastic bags. It’s estimated that over 100 billion plastic shopping bags are consumed in the US each year, and these bags, often only used a single time, serve as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and litter.
These single-use bags pose a threat to sea turtles, whales, and other marine animals that can die from eating plastic bags they mistake for food. Because they are made from polyethylene, which is made from crude oil and natural gas, plastic bags also deplete nonrenewable resources. It’s time for Massachusetts to take action at the statewide level to limit single-use plastic bags, and to provide consistency for businesses and consumers.
Last month, the Massachusetts Senate passed An act relative to plastic bag reduction (S.2422), which would ban single-use plastic bags statewide, with some exceptions. It would instead require most stores to provide recycled paper or reusable bags. Now, the Massachusetts House has referred the bill to its Committee on Rules.
You can help this bill pass!
If your state legislator is on the House Committee on Rules, ask them to quickly and favorably pass S.2422 out of committee. Even if your legislator isn’t on the committee, you can ask them to urge the committee to support the bill.
Let them know that single-use plastic bags are unsustainable, and that more than one third of Massachusetts communities have already made the decision to stop using them. It’s time to take this action statewide