I would like to thank Carol Talmage for her excellent letter (11/29), “Plastic causes apprehension” and say that plastic causes me apprehension too. That is why I am working with a group of volunteers on a plastic bag ban advisory petition in the town of Middlebury.
The petition we are circulating advises the Select Board to write an ordinance to ban single use plastic bags at the point of purchase in Middlebury. Given the avalanche of plastic waste American consumers generate each year, targeting the type of plastic bags that are most often used once seems a good place to start.
In this effort, we will be following the precedent set by Brattleboro last year — and 87 towns in Massachusetts, as well as the entire state of California. It is a small step toward our responsibility to keep plastic out of the environment.
If you are interested in learning more or volunteering to support the ban, our email is [email protected].
Amy McAninch
Middlebury