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Letter to the Editor

Kudos for passing the ban

To the editor,

Don’t know if it’s just me but I don’t see all the controversy over a plastic bag ban coming to a business near you. Why the Retailers Association of Massachusetts is opposed to it is beyond me. The prohibition applies to those single-use plastic shopping bags we see at all our supermarkets. This trade group apparently doesn’t like the idea of to forcing retailers to charge at least 5 cents for reusable bags covered by the new city ordinance.

I can tell you from first hand knowledge while visiting Austin, Texas, for the past several years, that a plastic bag like Boston’s hardly scratches the surface of any dragonian measures by supermarkets.

Whenever shopping down in Austin, Texas supermarkets, I always carry my own bags or buy a great sturdy reusable bag for 25 cents. These bags can last up to five or six months use. It is good for the environment and actually good for supermarkets and their customers.

Kudos to the Boston City Council for passing this ban unanimously and quickly. Mayor Walsh’s concern over this 5-cent bag fee is not necessary. Down in Austin, Texas the same outcry was heard before implementation, then once in force, everyone saw not great change or hardship. The worse thing is forgetting to bring your own shopping bags. Spending 25 cents for a great reusable  shopping bag is no big deal. If you forget to bring your own bags, you spend another quarter.

After a while, people don’t even think about the ban as they get used the new status quo. They start never going to a retailers without a bag of their own.

Politicians opposed to this plastic bag ban need to stop scaring folks and encourage folks top see it as something positive . No one is going to starve because they have no shopping bag.

Sincerely,

Sal Giarratani 

Times Staff:
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