Brookline, Mass., residents vote to ban plastic bags and PS containers

Mike Verespej

Published: November 15, 2012 6:00 am ET

Related to this story

Topics Materials, Public Policy, Suppliers, Sustainability, Packaging, Film & Sheet

BROOKLINE, MASS. (Updated Nov. 15, 10:40 a.m. ET) — Brookline has become the 85th community in the United States — and the 47th this year — to ban single-use plastic bags.

The town of roughly 60,000 just west of Boston now has bans on both plastic bags as well as all polystyrene-based food and beverage containers. The bans were passed a day apart, with the plastic bag ban adopted on Nov. 14 and the PS ban adopted by Nov. 13. Both go into effect Dec. 1, 2013.

The ban applies to supermarkets with sales in excess of $1 million, pharmacies with two locations under the same ownership in the city, and retailers with 2,500 square feet of space, or three locations in the city that combined have 2,500 square feet or more.

It does not apply to plastic bags that are compostable or marine degradable, or bags used to package produce.

Altogether, 85 U.S. communities have plastic bags bans, including three of the 14 largest and five of the 29 largest cities in the United States: San Francisco, San Jose, Calif.; Austin, Texas, Seattle and Portland, Ore. In addition, Los Angeles—the nation’s second-largest city with a population of 4 million—this summer set in motion a plan to ban single-use plastic bags.

More than half of the plastic bag bans in the United States — 47 — have been enacted this year. In addition, three communities — Aspen, Colo.; Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Md. — have fees on plastic carryout bags, with Boulder set to become the fourth after a second vote Nov. 15


Comments

Brookline, Mass., residents vote to ban plastic bags and PS containers

Mike Verespej

Published: November 15, 2012 6:00 am ET

Post Your Comments


Back to story


More stories

Image

Schad's Athena starts machine production

May 23, 2013 4:57 pm ET

VAUGHAN, ONTARIO — When Robert Schad and his team began Athena Automation Ltd., they wanted to start with a clean sheet of paper. Taking...    More

Image

PolyOne designs and colors its global strategy

May 23, 2013 4:09 pm ET

GUANGZHOU, CHINA — PolyOne Corp. officials at Chinaplas launched a new color and design services business, highlighted recent applications of...    More

KraussMaffei turns to service and financing in Brazil

May 23, 2013 3:59 pm ET

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL — Expanding service staff and helping Brazilian clients find competitive financing overseas should help KraussMaffei Group...    More

China's Chen Hsong opening sales and parts facility in Brazil

May 23, 2013 3:57 pm ET

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL — Injection molding machine manufacturer Chen Hsong has targeted Brazil for its first branch outside of China, opening a...    More

Image

New top managers at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag

May 23, 2013 3:48 pm ET

SCHWAIG, GERMANY — Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH has promoted two executives into senior positions as Shaun Dean moves from the i...    More

Upcoming Plastics News Events

June 4, 2013 - June 5, 2013Workforce Solutions West 2013

September 17, 2013 - September 18, 2013Plastics Caps & Closures 2013

November 12, 2013 - November 14, 2013Plastics Building Innovations 2013 Conference

More Events

Market Reports

Recyclers & Brokers and Custom Compounders (Full Ranking and List) 2013

Access data on 224 recyclers including volume, percent reprocessed versus brokered, percent post-consumer versus post-industrial, and materials re-processed, as well as data on 237 compounders including materials processed and compounds manufactured.

Learn more

Thermoformed Packaging 2013 Market Review and Outlook - North America

Plastics News' experts analyze North American thermoformed packaging sector performance and prospects for future growth. View analysis of processors operating within this segment as well as perspectives from industry though leaders on economic and political conditions, market trends, legislative/regulatory activity impacting supply and demand and manufacturing technology.

Learn more