Posted: | May 6, 2020 07:40 PM |
---|---|
From: | Representative Johnathan D. Hershey |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Single-use Plastic Ban Prohibition |
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to prohibit municipalities and local governments from prohibiting the use of single-use containers. As the world continues to learn more about the COVID-19 virus and understand how it is transmitted, we need to do everything we can to keep the citizens of the Commonwealth healthy and safe. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, private business such as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and Tim Hortons have moved to prohibit customers from bringing their own, potentially contaminated personal cups into stores. They have instituted this change for the safety of the public, patrons, and the workers. Governor Christopher Sununu of New Hampshire and Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts have issued executive orders prohibiting reusable bags. Their reason for the prohibition is simple: COVID-19 is just one of many pathogens that shoppers can spread, unless they wash their bags after use, which few people bother to do or even aware they should be doing. Some studies have shown that viruses such as COVID-19 can survive on cloth tote bags for up to nine days. In order to protect both their customers and employees, grocery stores across the country are prohibiting patrons from bringing their own reusable tote bags into their stores. In fact, earlier last month both Giant Eagle and Weis Markets moved to prohibit customers from bringing reusable bags into their stores. In the name of public safety, Governors, legislatures, agencies, Mayors and Councils across the country are repealing or delaying the implementation of single-use container bans or fees. For example:
|