Nov 7 - Barrington Adopts First Plastic Bag Ban in Rhode Island
The Town of Barrington made Rhode Island history last month, becoming the first in the state to adopt a plastic bag ban.
The proposed Reusable Bag Checkout Initiative, Ordinance 2012-7, bans plastic bags and allows stores to sell paper or reusable bags. The final version of the ordinance will go into effect on January 1, 2013 and applies to all retail stores and restaurants.
An amendment was made on the October 1 meeting to add a January 31, 2015 sunset date unless the council revisited and reviewed the ordinance. The amended ordinance was adopted later that evening 4-1.
We've already witnessed the successful results of other plastic bag bans and bag charges--95% reduction of all single-use bags in LA County and an 80% drop in the first month of the DC ordinance.
Barrington is located less than 50 miles south of Boston, and 7 miles southeast of Providence.