Business & Tech
Beverly Passes Plastic Bag Ban
The new rules take effect January 1, 2019 and call for $50 fines for businesses that continue to give non-reusable bags to customers.
BEVERLY, MA -- The city became the latest Massachusetts community to pass a ban on plastic shopping bags. More than 75 municipalities have passed the eco-friendly ordinances and the Massachusetts legislature is considering a statewide ban. Beverly City Council passed the local ordinance unanimously Monday night.
The new rules take effect January 1. Businesses that continue to give plastic bags to shoppers will face a $50 fine.
The goal of such laws is to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags and reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills.Unlike their paper counterparts, plastic shopping bags are not typically accepted in recycling programs, meaning shoppers have to bring them back to the store to get them recycled. As a result, only about 1% to 3% of them are recycled.
Find out what's happening in Beverlyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Subscribe to Beverly Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.
Patch file photo by Shutterstock.
Find out what's happening in Beverlyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
