Scheduled Meeting Includes Plastic Water Bottle Ban

From the Town of Great Barrington

Town leaders will soon accelerate discussion and outreach regarding the town’s pending plastic water bottle ban.

Voters at the May 2018 Annual Town Meeting adopted a ban on the sale of single-use plastic water bottles of one liter and smaller.

Great Barrington was the second town in the state to adopt such a ban, following the town of Concord, in an effort to reduce plastic waste.

Although the ban called for a Jan. 1 implementation, voters at last year's meeting amended the measure with a May 2019 enforcement date. However, the Selectboard must first approve the regulations and develop enforcement provisions.

The topic is on the agenda of the Selectboard’s Jan. 14 meeting. The public is invited.

“We have work to do, and we will be holding educational and outreach meetings with residents and merchants,” said Selectboard Chair Stephen Bannon.

Community volunteers have already begun to raise funds toward the purchase and installation of public water filling stations throughout town.