No. Branford Joins Branford, Guilford In Mulling Plastic Bag Ban

NORTH BRANFORD, CT - You can add North Branford to the list of towns that is talking about banning single-use plastic bags in an effort to help the environment.

The town's Solid Waste Committee discussed the issue at its most recent meeting - but took no action. Instead the committee said it would wait to see what neighboring towns do about the issue and then perhaps follow suit.

The issue recently came up in Branford as the Representative Town Meeting held a discussion with members of the community who are urging the town take action on the matter at its most recent meeting.

A proposed ordinance is expected to be discussed at the Branford RTM's Rules and Ordinance Committee.

Members of the Branford group, called Bring Your Own, appeared before the Branford RTM on December 11th, to push the initiative. They told the RTM they have the support of hundreds of residents and close to two dozen merchants.

RTM member James Walker took the discussion further, submitting a letter to the RTM, which suggested the town consider a ban on the purchase and selling of plastic helium balloons in Branford.

His letter referred to the balloons as "agents of death" to marine wildlife and "horrific litter." He said other forward-thinking communities had enacted such bans. His letter was also forwarded to the Rules and Ordinance Committee.

In neighboring Guilford, a group recently appeared before that town's Board of Selectmen to also suggest that Guilford get behind the initiative.

In Guilford, Terri Cain explained that Bring Your Own (BYO) is a group of residents concerned about the global problem of plastic waste. They have been building a community consensus and partnership since the spring.

A major partner has been the Guilford High School Environmental Club.

Molly Babbin a recent GHS graduate gave a brief presentation on plastic pollution in the environment, particularly in oceans. The largest contributor is single use plastic bags. She noted that 60,000 bags are used every five seconds. On average people use a bag for 12 minutes and it lasts 450 years in the environment. Only 1-3% is recycled.

She added that 32 countries have banned plastic bags and that California and Hawaii have bans. The towns of Westport and Greenwich have bans as well.

Grocery chain giant Kroger recently announced that it will be discontinuing single-use plastic bags in its stores by 2025 as part of its ongoing sustainability program, called "Zero Hunger | Zero Waste." The move towards sustainability will encompass all of Kroger's family of stores, including: Quality Food Centers, Food 4 Less, Ralphs, Dillons, Smith's, King Scoopers, City Market, Fry's, Harris Teeter, and more.

According to a press release from the brand, an estimated 100 billion single-use plastic bags are thrown away in the U.S. every year and less than 5 percent of plastic bags are recycled. "The environmental consequences of single-use plastic bags are well known," Mike Donnelly, Kroger's executive vice president and COO, said in the release.

Additionally, national chains Costco and Aldi's do not use plastic bags.

Back in Branford and Guilford, advocates state options include a straight ban on plastic with a transition to paper or banning plastic and adding a separate fee on the paper bags. The ultimate goal is to have people bring their own bags.

Photo by Jack Kramer