Burlington High School Student Proposes Plastic Shopping Bag Ban

BURLINGTON, MA -- A group of Burlington High School students who are part of the BHS Global Activists are proposing the town adopt a tax on plastic shopping bags in Massachusetts. Sophomore Stavan Shah, who founded the club, presented his proposal to the Burlington Conservation Commission last week.

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, meaning only about 1% to 3% of them are recycled. Shah's presentation included photos of bags littering different parts of Burlington.

In recent years, other Massachusetts communities have banned or considered banning plastic shopping bags that are a staple of most supermarkets. Other towns have collected taxes on all shopping bags, plastic or otherwise, as a way to provide an incentive for shoppers to bring their own shopping bags.

But Burlington's may be the first such proposal in the state initiated by someone who is barely old enough to work as a checkout bagger at the local Wegman's or Market Basket. Shah's detailed presentation to the Commission noted that 100 billion plastic shopping bags are used in the U.S. each year and that in Burlington, supermarkets spend $520.3 million on plastic shopping bags each year.

Shah proposed a five cent tax for every plastic bag given to a consumer by a store in Burlington. In the 55 towns that have passed similar proposals, retailers have generally passed the cost on to consumers or started using paper bags while simultaneously encouraging shoppers to use reusable bags. Most towns also write in exemptions for the plastic bags that are used for fresh produce and other perishable goods.

"Now it's Burlington's turn," Shah said. His presentation to the Conversation Commission was the first step; he is also scheduled to present his proposal to selectmen, which would ultimately have the authority to bring the bylaw change before town meeting.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).