Starting next holiday season, Chelsea shoppers will need to bring their own bags or pay ten cents for a heavy-duty plastic alternative.
The City Council voted Monday evening to adopt a ban on single-use plastic bags, with the measure taking effect one year after the December 17 vote.
Although the ban had been under committee review and stakeholders including local merchants had been consulted, it did not appear on Monday’s official agenda.
District 4 Councillor Enio Lopez moved to remove the proposal from conference committee for a full Council vote. He emphasized that single-use plastic bags harm the environment and contribute significantly to litter throughout Chelsea.
“This is a great idea and it is in our power to do it,” said Council President Damali Vidot. “I think small businesses will be able to adjust to the change.”
District 1 Councillor Robert Bishop acknowledged initial reservations about the ban but credited a ’60 Minutes’ segment aired Sunday night about plastic’s environmental impact with changing his perspective.
“I think plastic will kill us all if we keep going the way we are going,” said Bishop. Though he views plastic bags as merely one aspect of a larger plastic crisis, he supports this measure as a meaningful step forward.
Voting in favor but raising questions was District 3 Councillor Joe Perlatonda, who worried about financial implications for both consumers and merchants. Under the ban, reusable multi-use plastic bags would be available for purchase at 10 cents each, though single-use bags would be prohibited.
Councillor-At-Large Leo Robinson shared similar concerns with Perlatonda and suggested keeping the matter in committee to allow local businesses additional time for review and input.
Council members largely preferred moving forward with the vote that evening.
“There have been other cities that have implemented this, and you can see a huge difference in the streets,” said District 2 Councillor Luis Tejada.
The twelve-month implementation window allows the City to conduct outreach to local businesses and permits them to deplete existing plastic bag inventories.
The measure passed 10-1, with only District 8 Councillor Calvin Brown voting against it.