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Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance Advances In Norwalk

Eric Risberg
/
AP

In Norwalk a city committee moved forward on an ordinance that would ban plastic bags. The measure waits to be voted on by the full council in January.

Ordinance Committee Chair Eloisa Melendez said If the proposed bill passes, it will go into effect six months later. Melendez said the bill would restrict retail merchants from selling, providing or distributing carryout bags made of plastic.

Hearst Connecticut Media reports Stamford, Greenwich, Weston and Westport have all passed ordinances banning plastic checkout bags.

On Long Island, Suffolk County implemented a 5 cent fee for each purchased plastic and paper bag beginning in January. A new study shows that plastic bag use has dropped 80 percent since then.

The findings from the Food Industry Alliance of New York State astounded the policy’s sponsor legislator, Dr. William Spencer. Spencer introduced the bag fee to help save and preserve the environment.

“I think this beautiful planet that we have, we are stewards, and I think that things that we do to preserve it is the price that we pay for inheriting this beautiful land.”

Spencer said the fee was met with a lot of anger from the community. But he says complaints lessened as people got used to the new normal.