On Tuesday night, Jan. 23, Chelsea City Hall hosted a significant gathering centered on a plastic shopping bag prohibition. Council President Damali Vidot and Councillor Enio Lopez spearheaded the initiative alongside environmental group GreenRoots, drawing a substantial crowd to the session.
The large attendance suggested momentum building behind the proposal. “fblikebutton_button”
According to Vidot, while no final decisions have been made, the discussion will advance to subsequent phases. She observed that public sentiment appears favorable to a ban, though she cautioned that the process remains ongoing.
“We will continue the conference to a later date and propose a rough draft of an ordinance to get the ball rolling,” she said.
Councillor Luis Tejada also detected movement toward prohibition in the city—a measure Boston had already enacted the previous year, with rollout beginning this year. “At the moment it appears as though we are moving in the direction of banning the plastic bags, but of course there is still a lot of work to be done,” he said.
Determining which plastic bags should be restricted presents a central challenge in these discussions, Tejada noted. His particular concern involves the consequences for retailers. He expressed interest in learning more about business impacts before reaching conclusions.
Last week’s Record featured Compare Supermarket owner Al Calvo characterizing the ban as another levy targeting small enterprises. Calvo pointed out that switching to thicker bags would require tens of thousands in additional expenditure.
“This would impact them significantly if the measure was approved and enacted too swiftly. What I would like to do is put the small and large businesses on notice that it looks as though the city is moving towards a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, and they should begin to look at and enact whatever measure they are considering when this goes into effect. If they do it sooner rather than later, it can minimize any potential burden and or loss when the measure does take effect.” Tejada stated, emphasizing his desire to hear from local business owners given the thousands of bags many have already printed with their company logos.
Meanwhile, Councillor Joe Perlatonda raised a broader perspective. He emphasized his commitment to decreasing litter throughout Chelsea generally, viewing plastic bags as merely one component of a more extensive problem. He contended against singling out plastic bags while ignoring other debris such as lottery tickets and dog waste.
Some constituents have also voiced opposition to him. “I had one resident tell me this is just another tax being imposed on residents of Chelsea, which many of us can’t afford,” he said. “With everything going on, I’m concerned that the top priority is plastic bags. It was a great turnout, but I wish more people would turn out for other issues. There are other issues that need to be addressed that should take precedent over a plastic bag ban.”
Vidot indicated the timing for the next session remains unscheduled but should appear on the agenda in the coming period.
By Seth Daniel