BATH

The Bath City Council unanimously approved bans on single-use plastic bags and the use of polystyrene foam containers for prepared foods at its regular meeting on Wednesday.

Second passage will be voted on at the next council meeting on Nov. 1, when a public hearing is scheduled.

“One wonders, as time marches on, the necessity of the use of these items that does have a significant environmental risk,” said former Councilor Ruth Lawson-Stopps, who serves on the Bath Solid Waste Advisory Committee.

The two companion ordinances are meant to discourage a “throw-away culture,” said Public Works Director Lee Leiner, and encourage reusable bags and more environmentally friendly containers. The reasoning behind the bans, according to Leiner, is that single-use bags and polystyrene are often found as litter and do not break down, causing environmental pollution and danger to wildlife.

“I commute up from Portland, and driving through Freeport-Yarmouth, there’s a tree that has almost sort of a pirate’s flag of plastic blowing in the breeze for a long time now. I’ve really wondered how long we’re going to have to see that eyesore. And what it takes to get those down,” said Bath resident Sara Wright.

“(Plastic bags are) very destructive to wildlife,” said

Bath resident Mark Mahnke, who is a past board member of Maine Audubon. “The waste that I see outside is not consistent of a picture of Maine as life the way it should be.”

The first ordinance would outright ban the distribution of single-use plastic bags by businesses in the city. The ban does not include plastic product bags, which are used to carry produce or meat from the counter or display to the point of sale.

While single-use bags may be convenient, noted Lawson-Stopps, the impact on the environment and wildlife is serious.

“It’s a convenience that it’s time for us to maybe be moving beyond,” said Lawson- Stopps. “I’ll say that even for myself. I find them convenient, but it’s time for us all to move on.”

Plastic bag bans have already been passed in Brunswick and Freeport, while Topsham has put a fee on plastic bag use and banned polystyrene containers.

The ordinance also includes a 5-cent fee on paper bags. That fee would increase to 10 cents after one year.

The second ordinance bans the use of polystyrene foam containers for prepared foods.

“(The ordinance affects what is) most commonly seen by the public as what we call ‘clam shell’ that you would get for takeout food,” said Leiner.

The ordinance has an exemption for raw meats and live or raw seafood. It would also allow consumers to purchase polystyrene products for their personal use. The ban is limited to use by Bath businesses for prepared foods.

The Bath Solid Waste Advisory Committee has made an effort to engage the public and seek input on the effort prior to bringing the ordinance to the council for a vote. The committee held two public informational meetings in September and also gave a presentation before the council. The committee reached out to business owners in Bath, none of whom overtly opposed the measure, said Leiner.

“The stores where this would apply are essentially all businesses in Bath,” said Leiner.

No one spoke in opposition to the ordinance.

If the proposal is approved Nov. 1, the bans would go into effect on April 22, 2018 — Earth Day.

nstrout@timesrecord.com