Op-Ed: Vote 'Yes' On Article 8 At Stoneham Town Meeting

STONEHAM, MA — The following op-ed was submitted by Phyllis Warren.

On Monday, October 21st, the attendees at Stoneham’s Town Meeting will have the opportunity to cast their votes for an article sponsored by Cory Mashburn, Phyllis Warren and supported by many Stoneham residents. The Article will introduce a by-law, the purpose of which is to reduce the number of single-use plastic bags used, discarded and/or littered and, in addition, to promote the use of Reusable Bags and Recyclable Paper Bags by retail establishments in the town.

Single use plastic bags are one of the most unnecessary and damaging forms of plastic pollution. Sadly, they pollute oceans, harm wildlife, litter neighborhoods and beaches, contaminate food and directly harm key industries such as tourism, recreation and recycling. A by-law reducing plastic bag pollution is an effective, common sense solution to these problems.

The good news is that once the article is passed at Town Meeting, Stoneham will be among the 110 municipalities in Massachusetts including neighboring towns and cities, viz., Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Wakefield, Winchester and Woburn, which, as of June, 2019, have once again resorted to using brown paper bags or better still, to carrying cloth bags for shopping, etc.

Hopefully, Stoneham will be on this growing list as of January, 2020 and will be doing its’ share to help save the environment.

Come to Town meeting on Monday evening at Town Hall and let your voice be heard. Vote "yes" on Article 8!

Thank you,

Phyllis Warren