Mansfield Plastic Bag Ban Starts: Community Opinions Differ

MANSFIELD, MA — A bylaw banning stores from using most types of plastic bags is officially in effect as of Thursday.

Retailers with a floor area of 3,500 square feet or more are now prohibited from providing plastic shopping bags to their customers because of a vote at last May's town meeting for a new bylaw. Smaller stores will have to comply with the new regulation by May 15, 2019.

Resident opinions on the new bylaw have varied with some people happy to see the town try to lessen its environmental footprint and others seeing it as an inconvenience that could impact their decision on whether or not they continue shopping in Mansfield.

"I think that it's about time," resident Otto Bingel said. "People are saying that they will now shop out of town. Really people, really?" he said addressing other Mansfield residents on social media.

Other residents expressed concerns over stores charging money for paper and reusable shopping bags. At Stop & Shop, paper bags are free, but they do charge 50 cents per plastic bag. Shaw's is also providing paper bags free of charge and reusable bags for $1.

Jaime Hoyler doesn't believe she will be affected by the ban because she doesn't use plastic bags often.

"I don’t have a problem with it (the ban). I have reusable bags already so I’ll just be sure to bring them, she said. "We do most of our shopping at BJ’s anyway, and they don’t give bags there so I’m used to it."

The new bylaw applies to retail stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, grocery stores and restaurants. They will have to use recyclable paper bags or reusable shopping bags instead. Not every type of plastic bag is prohibited though. Bags for dry cleaning, packing meat and wet items are exempt. Large stores will have to offer collection options for the exempt bags. Stores like Stop & Shop and Shaw's already have collection boxes.

Businesses not complying will receive a written for their first offense. Stores will be fined $50 for a second violation and a $100 fine for subsequent violations.

Mansfield joins dozens of other Massachusetts communities, including Boston, as well as thousands across the country in banning plastic bags as a way to reduce the environmental impact of single use plastics.

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