An Opportunity to Lead
On behalf of the Guilford High School Environmental Club, we want to express our gratitude and support for Big Y’s leadership in eliminating plastic bags. On Jan. 8, Big Y Corporation announced its decision to phase out single-use plastic checkout bags by 2020 in its Massachusetts and Connecticut locations. This is a major step in the right direction for our Long Island Sound ecosystem and Guilford community. As a club, we are committed to leaving a positive impact on our local and global environment and spreading awareness about the harmful effects of pollutants such as plastic.
Plastic bags are incredibly harmful to our environment and the wildlife with which we share the Earth. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year—yet only about 12 percent of those bags end up getting recycled. Moreover, Big Y stores alone report using approximately 100 million plastic bags at checkout annually.
Thanks to Big Y’s incredible decision, our town will see a significant decrease in plastic bag pollution. We as a club see this as an inspiration to other businesses to do the same. Our hope is that these beginning steps will offer Guilford an opportunity to lead in preserving the beauty of our shoreline community.
Charlotte Wiley
Guilford