Wilmington Residents To Vote On Plastic Bag Ban At Town Meeting

WILMINGTON, MA – At this year’s Annual Town Meeting, residents will have the opportunity to ban Wilmington stores from using single use plastic bags.

Resident Julianne Hooper has successfully petitioned Selectmen to place an article on the Town Meeting warrant to amend the town’s inhabitant bylaws (Chapter 5, Public Regulations) by adding a new section to ban single use plastic bags at retail, food and grocery establishments.

“The purpose of this bylaw is to limit the amount of plastic that enters and impacts the environment of Wilmington, and reduce the amount of trash that ends up on the streets and in landfills by using recyclable, reusable, or compostable bags instead of thin-film, single-use plastic checkout bags,” wrote Hooper on the petition.

If the plastic bag ban is enacted, residents would be encouraged to utilize reusable shopping bags. If shoppers wanted to use paper bags, stores could determine a fee to offset the cost.

The ban would apply to grocery stores, food establishments, and retail establishments, including – but not limited to – convenience stories, liquor stores, pharmacies, clothing stories, jewelry stores, household goods stores, seasonal and temporary businesses, and any other business that offers that sale and display or merchandise.

Exceptions to the ban would include any plastic bags intended for produce/meat, newspapers, and laundry/dry cleaning articles.

According to the Sierra Club, 61 Massachusetts cities and towns – representing nearly 30% of the state’s population – have already passed a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags. Nearby communities include Reading and Wakefield.

Seven other petitioned articles will be appear on the Town Meeting warrant, including:

• Rezone from R60 to Neighborhood Mixed Use: 333 Andover Street (Map 1, Parcel 21A) [Petitioner: Jacqueline Welch] {Town Manager’s Note: This land is the former Sciarappa Farm.}
• Rezone from R20 to Neighborhood Business: 960 Main Street (Map 24, Parcel 120) [Petitioner: Mike Newhouse] {Town Manager’s Note: This land is at the very southern end of Main Street, near the Woburn Line.}
• Rezone from R20 to General Industrial: 960 Main Street (Map 24, Parcel 120) [Petitioner: Mike Newhouse]
• Rezone from R60 to R20: 8-10 Harold Street (Map 23, Parcels 6-106 and 8-106) [Petitioner: Sandra LaLiberte]
• Rezone from R60 to R20: 14 & 18 Hopkins Street (Map 22, Parcels 13, 13A, 14-20) [Petitioner: Lyndsey Riley]
• Rezone from R60 to R10: 14 & 17 Royal Street; 48, 50 & 54 McDonald Road; 2 Bernstein Road; 21-23 Pomfret Road (Map 84, Parcels 11, 15, 48, 49, 49B, 49C, 50, 51, 54) [Petitioner: Jacqueline Welch]
• Request the State Legislature authorize Adam J. Silva to have his results for the 2016 (and all future results if so needed) Massachusetts Civil Service Firefighter Exam be allowed for employment without regard to applicant’s age as a Firefighter in the Town of Wilmington. [Petitioner: Adam Silva] {Town Manager’s Note: These requests happen from time to time when aspiring firefighters are 35 years of age or older.}

Wilmington’s Annual Town Meeting will take place on Saturday, May 5 at 10:30am in the Wilmington High School Auditorium.