Wilton may soon become home to the artful shopper.
The newly formed Wilton Go Green is holding a town-wide contest to design free reusable bags. The non-profit organization chose not to wait until the Town of Wilton or the General Assembly decided whether to ban plastic, paper, or both. Education through expression seemed the best bet.
“We may end up banning bags, we may end up charging for them, but meanwhile we just want to encourage people to use reusable bags,” Bunnell said.
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The town recently awarded WGG a $2,500 grant to help cover part of the contest. The group will raise the additional $2,500 needed. That money will pay for the manufacture of the bags and for the kiosks to hold them.
“First Selectman Bill Brennan is really driving this,” said Becky Bunnell, president of Wilton Go Green.
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Village Market, Stop & Shop and several merchants belonging to the Wilton Chamber of Commerce are involved. Both the Village Market and Stop & Shop will make the free bags available to shoppers.
“We’re very supportive of anything the community does,” said Brian Cowic, assistant general manager of Village Market.
Moreover, the contest is a great way to persuade more people to use reusable bags. Cowic said Village Market doesn’t support a ban on plastic bags or the implementation of a five-cent fee for plastic bags. Neither does the market support proposed state legislation to charge five cents per plastic bag.
Between 8 and 10 percent of all shoppers bring reusable bags with them when they shop, according to WGG. On average, those shoppers bring two reusable bags with them.
“We’d like to get that number up to 50 percent,” Bunnell said.
All of Wilton’s public schools are participating in the project. WWG sent supplies to the schools and many students are working on the designs during art class.
But the contest isn’t limited to the school set. There is a fourth category just for adults.
Entrants will be judged at the end of February. After that an exhibit of the winners and runners-up will travel to the Wilton Library, the Wilton Y and then to Town Hall.
“We want to showcase the work,” Bunnell said.
