Around New England

Vermont Ban on Thin-Film Plastic Bags Set To Go Into Effect Next Month Despite Coronavirus Pandemic

June 23, 2020

In Vermont, a ban on thin-film plastic bags is scheduled to take effect despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

While Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker in March ordered that all towns allow stores to use so-called “single use” plastic bags without any sort of fee to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, Vermont reportedly sees no need to do the same.

“Plastic bags take hundreds of years to break down, can harm wildlife, clog recycling machinery, and, together with other single-use products, make up an estimated 32% of Vermont’s waste,” Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Conservation secretary Julie Moore told New England Cable News in an email message.

In March, New Boston Post spoke with medical experts who commended Massachusetts for lifting plastic bag bans amid the pandemic; they argued that reusable bags present a greater threat to spread the virus.