Arlington Town Meeting To Weigh Plastic Water Bottle Ban

ARLINGTON, MA — Plastic water bottles may be on their way out of Arlington.

Town Meeting will consider banning the sale of plastic bottles of non-carbonated, non-flavored water in sizes of 1 liter or less. The ban, which would go into effect Nov. 1, would apply to any business in Arlington that sells bottled water, as well as town-owned buildings like schools.

"The purpose of this bylaw is to protect the environment and public health through
reducing solid waste and unnecessary strains on recycling resources, minimizing litter, reducing
the Town's carbon footprint and climate change impacts, preserving local waterways, and
protecting the health of Arlington residents and visitors by reducing the sale and disposal of
single use plastic water bottles," the article states.

Twenty-five towns in Massachusetts have passed similar bottled water restrictions in an effort to reduce litter and plastic pollution. According to Zero Waste Arlington, more than 1.5 billion bottles of water and other non-carbonated beverages are sold in Massachusetts annually, and only about 20 percent get recycled.

Plastic containers end up in landfills or incinerators, which pollute the air and water, and can destroy habitats, harm wildlife and contaminate the food chain, Zero Waste Arlington said.