Proposal to Reduce Single-Use Bags
During this week’s voting, the Peterborough Recycling Committee was at Town Hall collecting signatures on a petition urging the Legislature to reduce single-use plastic bags in New Hampshire. Many voters were curious about what neighboring states have already done — so here’s a quick look:
New York banned single-use plastic carryout bags statewide in 2020 and requires stores to offer in-store recycling for plastic film. Connecticut has a statewide ban. Maine bans single-use bags at large retailers and charges a 5-cent fee on all shopping bags — and was first in the nation to ban plastic foam containers. Vermont has had a statewide ban in place since 2023. Rhode Island’s ban took effect Jan. 1, 2024, along with a foam foodware ban. Massachusetts, where nearly 70% of residents already live under local bag ordinances, has a statewide ban pending in the House.
New Hampshire stands alone in the region with no statewide ban. A recent bill was voted down over concerns that a ban would cost customers money, though it’s hard to see how encouraging shoppers to bring their own reusable bags adds to anyone’s expenses. What the opposition hasn’t fully weighed are the environmental & medical costs that future generations of Granite Staters will ultimately bear.
At this rate, we may need to update our state motto: Live Free or Die From Single-Use Plastic Bags.