Wellesley neighbors: Let’s join the 18 towns in Massachusetts that have banned single-use check-out plastic bags!At Annual Town Meeting on March 28th, 2016, Wellesley Town Meeting Members will vote on whether to join towns such as Newton, Brookline, and Cambridge in banning single-use plastic check-out bags. The Wellesley Natural Resources Commission is proposing a bag ban to help:

• keep harmful plastic out of our parks and conservation land,
• keep plastic bags from clogging storm drains and waterways,
• protect marine animals and other wildlife.

We, the members and supporters of Sustainable Wellesley, believe that reducing plastic litter will benefit everyone in our community. Please sign our petition to show your support for the Wellesley Natural Resources Commission's proposal for a bylaw to limit distribution of single-use plastic check-out bags (not including produce bags) and to request that Town Meeting Members vote in favor of the bylaw at Annual Town Meeting on March 28th, 2016.

Recognizing the impact of our daily habits on the natural environment can be a little overwhelming. We want to drive less, but we still need to get to work. We try to eat local foods, but our lemons come all the way from Mexico. We try to recycle plastic bags, and find that the Wellesley Recycling and Disposal Facility no longer recycles them (click here to find out why).

Government and world organizations need to take action on big environmental issues — but we can take action right here in Wellesley! Let’s make a difference by limiting the use of plastic bags and by bringing reusable bags when we shop. Taking these steps will not only help eliminate plastic from our environment, but will also reduce the use of paper bags which have a high carbon footprint. Reusable bags are the smart and easy way to go!