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12/04/2019 11:00 PMWhile many Connecticut stores are now charging 10 cents per store-provided plastic or paper bag, as of Thurs. Dec. 12, Branford retailers won't be allowed to provide plastic check-out bags at all; and can't charge a 10 cent fee for paper bags they provide to seniors (65 years and older) and those enrolled in supplemental nutrition programs.
The more restrictive measures are part of Branford's new Plastic Bag Ban ordinance, which was passed by the Representative Town Meeting on June 12, to become effective in six months' time, on December 12, 2019.
Branford's ordinance bans single-use plastic bags at town merchant check-outs and also specifies that merchants "may" charge customers ten cents per single recyclable paper bag provided – except for seniors, WIC and SNAP recipients.
That's different from the state's plastic bag law which began in August of 2019 and has no exemptions for who may be charged for single use plastic bags at retail.
The state law does require businesses to charge ten cents for any single use plastic bags issued at retail through June of 2021, with the revenue to be turned over to the state. After June 2021, the state law prohibits single use plastic bags from being provided at retail.
While the state law in no way requires stores to charge a fee for paper bags issued at checkout, it also doesn't prohibit stores from adding a charge to help offset the cost of providing paper bags, and to encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags.
The state law also notes it won't prohibit municipalities from "... enacting or enforcing an ordinance concerning single-use checkout bags made of plastic, provided such ordinance is as restrictive or more restrictive as the provisions of this section concerning the provision or selling of such bags to customers by stores."
Branford's municipal ordinance stipulates that the option for retailers to charge for recyclable paper bags at checkout "...shall not apply to customers making purchases using supplemental nutrition assistance program [SNAP], supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children [WIC], 'food stamps' or seniors 65 and over. These customers will receive recyclable paper bags free of charge."
The Branford ordinance also does have penalties for violations, including issuing an Official Warning following the first report of a violation; and a $150 civil fine for any violation thereafter.
Branford's plastic bag ban was brought about by a grassroots citizens' group, Bring Your Own (BYO) Branford, organized by Meg Kilgore in 2018. To help raise awareness and generate support, BYO Branford offered a free public screening of the documentary "Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?" followed by a panel discussion in 2018. With support from the CT Fund for the Environment, BYO Branford also began distributing reusable shopping bags. Members of the group appeared at community events to spread the message and visited local retailers, gathering nearly 30 merchant signatures in support of the idea.
The ordinance describes its purpose as "...to protect and improve the environment of Branford, including its coastline and marine life, and the health, safety and welfare of its residents by reducing the use of plastic and paper bags and encouraging the use of reusable carryout bags during the purchase of retail goods."
When the ordinance was adopted by the RTM on June 12, 2019, cheers erupted from a large crowd of supporters of all ages at the meeting, including several students who spoke in support of the ordinance. The RTM showed overwhelming bipartisan support during a roll call vote of 23-0-2 among 25 members present (one member passed on the vote and one abstained).
This week, a notice from Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove's office, together with a copy of the ordinance, was issued to remind merchants and customers about the changes that will arrive when Branford's Plastic Bag Ban ordinance kicks in on Thurs. Dec. 12.