Great Barrington Announces Historic Plastic Bottle Ban

Late last night, Great Barrington became only the third municipality in the entire country to ban single use plastic bottles of one liter in size or less. All three municipalities are in Massachusetts, Concord enacting the ban in 2012 and Sudbury last year. The entire bylaw can be read here, including enforcements and exemptions.

According to The Berkshire Edge, Town Moderator Michael Wise called for a show of hands that indicated the ban had passed by a margin of roughly 2-1. The ban will take effect in May of 2019.

The proposed ban was created and promoted by the Environment Committee of Berkshire Women's Action Group, along with Indivisible Berkshires. Several citizens spoke in support of the measure, including three Monument Mountain Regional High School students who collaborated with BWAG and gave a presentation on their research in support of the proposal.

Great Barrington Republican Town Committee Chairman Andy Moro was the only person to speak out against the ban, arguing that it would hurt merchants and retailers. However, 40 businesses and organizations have signed off on the plastic water bottle ban. Among those on the list, notables Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Prairie Whale and SoCo Creamery.