Plastic-Bag Ban Gains Momentum, Sen. Joyce Applauds Efforts

State Sen. Brian Joyce (D-Milton) this week commended the passing two bills in an effort to ban the use of single-use plastic bags at retail stores larger than 4,000 square feet. 

The state's Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture recently passed the two bills (H. 696 and S. 359). Joyce, who represents the Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth Districts, including Canton, Easton, Milton, Sharon and Stoughton, previously pushed similar legislation to stop the use of non-compostable plastic bags during the last decade, according to an announcement from Joyce's office this week.

“I’m happy to see support growing for taking environmentally hazardous and unnecessary product like single-use plastic bags out of our stores,” Joyce said in a statement. “Banning the use of these bags will protect our wildlife and help keep our streets, parks, and oceans cleaner.”

The ban would do away with the single-use plastic bags, which can kill up to 100,000 animals annually, often because the bags are mistaken for food, according to the announcement this week. 

What do you think? Should single-use plastic bags be banned from large grocery stores? Do you find it easier to bring reusable bags to the store? Or should compostable plastic bags replace the bags currently used at such grocery chains? Let us know in the comments section below.