Western Mass. Grocer Big Y Bans Plastic Bags In All Stores

On Thursday, the grocery chain Big Y will ban single-use plastic bags from checkout areas in all of its locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The decision by the family-owned grocer, headquartered in Springfield, Mass., follows an industry trend aimed at reducing food suppliers' environmental impact. Close to 100 cities and towns in Massachusetts already have new bag rules on the books, according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

At least seven Big Y stores were among those that needed to comply with local bag measures, and Big Y sales vendor Raanan Hartman said customers at those locations seemed quite comfortable with the changes.

"It's a little less of a surprise, per say, when they [customers] come to a store and there's plastic bags no longer available," Hartman said. "I think for the most part that consumers appreciate it and understand it's the right thing to do for the environment."

Hartman said Big Y originally decided it was going to get rid of plastic bags by next year, but the effort ended up being ahead of schedule.

Customers who do not bring reusable bags can buy paper bags with handles for 10 cents a piece. But, Hartman said the entire point of the ban is to get people in the habit of using reusable bags.

"That is the main goal," Hartman said. "We don't want to switch one single-use bag plastic for one single-use paper bag. That doesn't really help the environment."

Massachusetts state legislators are looking into whether to create a state-wide plastic bag ban. A bill from Rep. Lori Ehrlich and Sen. James Eldridge was taken up by the House Ways and Means Committee in July. The committee's version of the bill would ban single-use plastic bags in stores and would let them offer customers paper or reusable bags. Unlike the original bill, however, environmentalists are upset that the state ban would override existing communities bans and not require stores to charge for paper or reusable bags.

Big Y's ban on plastic bags comes the same day as Connecticut's state-wide bag ban goes into effect. Quincy-based Stop & Shop announced earlier this week it would ban plastic bags by Aug. 1 to comply. Maine and Vermont have passed their own state-wide bans on plastic bags.