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Darien Group Pushes for Ban on Plastic Bags

A group of Darien women have taken their cue from Westport and launched a movement to ban the use of plastic shopping bags in town.

"We are petitioning the Selectmen to ban the use of plastic shopping bags in Darien," said Nina Miller, who helps lead the Choose to Reuse in Darien.

The Darien group said that 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away in the United States every year and that they kill more than 1 million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles every year.

The group will go before the Board of Selectmen on April 11 to present their proposal. On March 6 at the Darien Library they will show a movie called "Bag It" about the danger plastic shopping bags present to the environment.

Miller said the group tried to educate Darien students about the dangers of plastic bags, but that it wasn't enough. "We agreed that we would try an educational aspect in town, but that didn't work. When it's voluntary it doesn't work. When it's mandatory it does."

Deirdre Price, who worked on the Westport campaign, said winning the cooperation of local businesses was key.

"The Stop & Shop came on and supported it. If that hadn't happened, it would have slowed our progress," Price said.

The group is currently going around town and talking to local businesses about their plan. "We don't want to surprise the merchants," Miller said. "We feel it's only fair to be transparent about our intentions."

Price said that once the ban went into effect in Westport, almost all stores there turned to re-useable bags. The Choose to Reuse in Darien group hopes a similar ban will be approved for Darien and make local businesses more environmentally conscious.

What do you think about banning plastic shopping bags in Darien? Do you think it will help the environment? Will it force local merchants to hike up their prices? Join the conversation in the comments below, on Facebook and on Twitter!

 

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