It’s been bugging me that CVS in Concord has been using plastic checkout bags. I mean, really bugging me. But wait a minute, don’t we have a plastic bag ban in Concord?
Turns out that CVS has been complying with the plastic bag reduction bylaw Concord put into effect in 2015. In an effort to reduce the use of plastic bags, we had banned “thin-film” plastic bags, but we allowed thick plastic bags with handles. The intention was to allow bags that customers would reuse, ultimately reducing the total number of bags handed out at checkout. Instead, the “reusable” plastic bags are not carried back into the store for reuse, and because they’re thicker, we’ve effectively been adding many times more “forever plastics” into the environment.
We care about the environment in Concord, and I thank all the conscientious customers who have deposited plastic bags into recycling bins. Unfortunately, almost no plastic actually gets recycled, including bags deposited in bag recycling bins.
I had been working on updating the bylaw to eliminate the thick plastic bag allowance, but then I thought I’d call CVS to see if they would change to paper voluntarily. The manager gave me the number for the district manager, and voilà, we have paper.
If you’re happy about the change, please let them know next time you’re at CVS. And, even better, try bringing a reusable bag into the store with you just as you would at the supermarket.
Lisa Resnick
Laurel Street
