During last Tuesday's City Council meeting the Ad Hoc Green Committee joined by a Sierra Club representative presented many of the challenges to the environment and to our fisheries. by the use of plastic bags. They concluded that the use of plastic bags should be banned in grocery stores in Belmont and the stores should charge their customers $.15 for every paper bag they use.
I appreciate the time and effort spent over the past two years by the members of the Green Committee. It must be a labor of love. It is obvious that plastic bags are a significant challenge.
I don't, however, agree that the City Council should approve creating an expensive ordinance telling specific businesses how to operate their business and what to charge their customers.
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The reduction and eventual elimination of plastic bags should be left to "Market Forces." As an example Lenardis Markets PAY their customers $.05 for every paper bag their customers return for reuse I guess they believe that rewarding good performance works better than punishment. When our residents realize the extent of the plastic bag challenge, after encouragement by the retailer, they will reduce and eventually eliminate the use of plastic bags. This is a slower approach but certainly less intrusive than having the Council exert it's power inappropriately into the operations of our businesses.
Again, let the natural forces of the marketplace take care of the challenges we are encountering with plastic bags.
