Freeport, Maine, bans plastic bags

The ordinance was suggested by residents Elly Bengtsson and Meredith Broderick in 2014, when the two attended Freeport High School. 

 

“Now an estimated 2 million-plus single-use bags will be removed annually from Freeport’s waste stream,” Bengtsson told the news site. “Now a conversation has been sparked about the harmful effects plastic has on the environment and humans. I hope that news about our town’s ban will spark interest, initiative and more conversations about plastic around the state.” 

 

The new ordinance will be implemented Sept. 12 and will impose a 5-cent fee on paper bags. Both of these measures will only apply to stores with more than 2 percent of their sales in food, the article says.

 

Freeport is also notable for banning the use of polystyrene food containers in 1990.