BREWSTER – Brewster officials recently voted during a meeting to delay the start of their plastic bag ban due to concerns related to COVID-19.
Businesses could have be put into a “ping pong” situation, Select Board Chair Mary Chaffee explained, if the reusable bag policy were to be carried out as planned and if a coronavirus spike caused Governor Charlie Baker to mandate the use of plastic bags once again.
“That would be an added stressor, I think, in an already stressful environment,” Chaffee said during the meeting.
Reusable bag usage had been prohibited in Massachusetts starting in March. That order from state officials was rolled back last month, and reusable bags can once again be utilized at checkout lines.
Still, Selectman Ben deRuyter believed that it makes sense to allow businesses to use plastic bags for the time being, given the circumstances.
“The businesses in Brewster have been hit hard enough,” deRuyter said, “and because of the governor’s ban on reusable bags, of course, many of our businesses have stocked up on these plastic bags.”
Chaffee added that the town will continue to commit to reducing the use of single use plastics going forward.
The plastic bag ban’s start date has been kicked back six months.