Please attend Acton’s Annual Town Meeting on May 17 and VOTE YES to establish a charge for checkout bags.
On May 17, voters at (the second night of) Acton’s Annual Town Meeting — starting at 7pm at ABRHS — will consider two potential new bylaws intended to diminish some of the consequences of living in a “use-and-toss” era. Here you can learn more about one of those — Article #49. (See info on Ban the Bag & More’s other Warrant Article here.)
This proposal would authorize the Select Board to petition the Massachusetts Legislature for the right to require businesses to collect a minimum of 15¢ for each checkout bag provided to customers. (See the explanation, below, of what a checkout bag is and is not.) The bylaw would become effective once the Home Rule Petition is passed by the MA Legislature and signed by the Governor — hopefully, in 2023.
Is every bag a business provides considered a “checkout bag”?
NO. Many small bags would be not be considered “checkout bags” and would be exempt. For example, businesses would not have to charge for bags that:
• provide privacy for prescription medications
• keep produce, bakery items, and other food items fresh or unsoiled
• prevent frozen food items, including ice cream, from thawing
• contain items that are wet or prone to leak, such as soup
• contain products that are granular, powdery, dirty, or greasy
• protect an item from damage or contamination, or protect a second item when both are carried together
• protect articles of clothing on a hanger
• contain any product containing chemicals that can be harmful to public health, such as herbicides, pesticides, solvents, or corrosive automotive fluids, e.g.
• protect small items from loss
Why is a bag charge a win for the environment — and for consumers and retailers?
It’s a win for the environment because:
• research shows that a bag charge increases the number of people who convert to reusable bags
• reusable bags save trees
• reusable bags reduce generation of waste
• reusable bags are often made from recycled or sustainable products
It’s a win for consumers because they:
• save 15¢ each time they bring a reusable bag
• can make a personal, environmentally responsible choice
• can access free reusable bags from Ban the Bag & More if they need them
It’s a win for retailers because they:
• would keep the 15¢
• would need to order fewer bags, thus reducing the considerable expense of paper bags that currently is passed on to customers
• would have the “protection” of a town-wide policy that (1) applies to all retailers, (2) allows them to make an environmentally sound decision that all local retailers would be executing, and (3) would obviate discussions with customers about who “is and is not charging for bags” in Acton
As one store manager exclaimed, “The ability to charge for a checkout bag is music to my ears!”
What’s involved in charging for a bag?
• Retail stores, restaurants, pharmacies, convenience and grocery stores, liquor stores, and seasonal and temporary businesses that sell goods directly to the consumer, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, will be required to charge for a bag and will retain all revenues.
• Charges for checkout bags would be clearly labeled on the receipt provided to the customer.
• Bag charges would not be taxable.
Who will oversee this? Are we going to have “bag police”?
• Because this is a good-faith effort to protect Acton’s environment, undertaken by people of good will AND a “win” for retailers, we don’t expect many long-term issues.
• Customers may report an infraction to the Acton Board of Health, which would then send a reminder about the bag charge to the retailer.
• Ban the Bag & More and other groups will help inform the public and support businesses. The Acton Board of Health will oversee implementation, and may adopt and amend rules or procedures to help clarify the meaning of the bylaw and make implementation as smooth as possible.
What is home rule, and why do we need it?
Most municipalities can enact most bylaws without approval from the MA Legislature, but some local actions require it. A provision of local law will stand only so long as it is not inconsistent with the state Constitution or MA general laws.