Learn more……. Several US Cities and countries around the world have banned plastic shopping bags...
....and many are in the works! Frequently asked questions Why do we need another ordinance?
Why isn't education enough?
Is paper better than plastic?
Won’t an ordinance hurt local business owners?
Can reusable grocery bags be contaminated?
Answers to these and more>>>>>>> Members Sherry Barrett
Lynne Brooks
Roisin Burke
Vic Capellupo
Sophie Cirillo
Shannon and Fred Converse
Rhett and Heather Drugge
Lisa Erickson
Sandy Filmer
Gigi Garnett
Lori Glavin
Linda Goodyear
Meighan Grady
Noelle Henderson
Tory Holdt
Karen Hughan
Kirsty Hughan
Beth Skudder & Chris Jobson
Gail Johnson
Nina Miller
Sophie and Tom Murphy
Deepika Saksena
Rhonda Sherwood
Kyra Wein
Leila Wetmore
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Choose to Reuse is proposing a town-wide ordinance to improve the environment in Darien by encouraging the use of reusable checkout bags and banning the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags for retail checkout of purchased goods. Non-biodegradable plastic bags often are discarded into the environment and end up polluting our waterways, clogging sewers, endangering marine life and causing unsightly litter. These bags last hundreds of years in landfills and are a potential source of harmful chemicals when they do break down. The following is a brief description of the ordinance:
Ordinance - Only reusable bags and/or recyclable paper bags are to be provided as checkout bags to retail customers.
Coverage - The ordinance applies to all retail stores, sidewalk sales, farmers’ markets, flea markets and restaurants. It excludes sales of goods at yard sales, tag sales, other sales by residents at their home, and sales by non-profit organizations.
Bag Exclusions – Excluded from the ordinance are –
• Plastic produce bags made of very thin plastic material used to transport produce, meats or other items selected by customers to the point of sale
• Plastic bags that have more than one opening, such as cleaners bags
• Plastic bags measuring 28″ by 36″ or larger
How you can help
• Join the education campaign to get people up to speed on why and which particular plastic shopping bags need to be banned.
• Get more signatures on the petition in support of the ban.
• Show your support; prepare to write letters to the editor of local papers.
• Call your District RTM members and voice your support.
• And finally, to come to the RTM meeting when it happens in January.
For more information; please send us an email
Choose to Reuse in Darien & The Darien Library
Invites you (and your friends and family)
To a Screening of the award-winning documentary
“Bag It!”
Thursday, October 27th at 7:00 pm
At the Darien Library
Reception to follow
On August 22nd, a representative of the Connecticut Food Association (CFA), Stan Sorkin, will come from Hartford to lobby the Darien Board of Selectmen against a plastic bag ban in our town. As part of it’s so called ‘Green Agenda‘, the CFA works with the American Plastics Council to “educate legislators on the consequences of banning plastic bags”.
Please join the Choose To Reuse team at the Board of Selectmen meeting at 7:30 PM at Town Hall on August 22nd, to lobby for ‘Saving the Environment’. Speak up or listen….. just by being there you will show our government and the rest of the town that you care.
The Choose to Reuse Design-a-Logo contest winners were announced on Saturday May 8th. A reception in their honor was held at the Darien Nature Center. Over 100 beautiful designs for reusable bags were on display.
The winning designs will also be on display at the Darien Sports Shop. Each winning design has been printed on a reusable bag and will be for sale at the Darien Sports Shop and Darien Nature Center.
The winners are as follows: Elena Cage, Sophie Cirillo, Maya Owainati. The honorable mentions are Megan Smith, Cheyenne Tilford, Cammie Lattimer, Claire Billeter, Rose Armstrong, Amina Mobarik, Nina Rodriguez, Grace Rodi and Juliet.
Top three bags winners from the Choose to Reuse Logo Contest show off their winning designs with First Selectman Dave Campbell.
Left to right: Elena Cage, Sophie Cirillo, First Selectman Dave Campbell and Maya Owainati
Work with us to save the environment by encouraging the use of reusable bags. Sign the petition that will request the Board of Selectmen to put in an ordinance to ban plastic shopping bags in Darien. To learn more, send us an email, join us for the following events in town, and stay tuned for more:
- in the bag : the art and politics of the reusable bag movement. This show, displayed at the Darien Nature Center, features a selection of art work as well as beautifully designed plastic bags made from recycled materials.
As a kick off for the In the Bag exhibit at the Darien Nature Center, this beautiful bag made of recycled candy wrappers was raffled off. The lucky winner was Pat Atkin, retired Tokeneke School art teacher. An array of beautiful bags made of recycled plastic bags, juice boxes and yellow pages are on display at the Darien Nature Center through April 23. Nature Center hours are weekdays from 9:00 – 4:00 and on Saturday from 9:00 – 1:00.
- Presentation to the Darien Board of Selectman on April 11th. More information will be posted shortly.
- Bag It! Was screened at the Darien Library on March 6th at 5:30 pm. This movie provided a better understanding of the negative impacts that plastic bags have on our environment and on society.
1. Use reusable canvas or cloth bags.
Reusable bags are more environmentally friendly than paper or plastic. Most grocery and big box stores now offer reusable bags for sale to customers. Keep them in your car for the next time you have to run out to shop.
2. Say “No thank you.”
Not all items require a bag so tell the clerk, “No thank you.” Carry small purchase items like a magazine, one piece of candy, or drink to the car instead of in a plastic bag. If you have more items, ask the store for a carton, or carry items in the cart to your car OR buy some reusable bags; If this happens often enough, you will automatically remember to keep bags in your car and to carry them into the store!!
3. Reuse!
Reuse the plastic bags you have. If you even reuse each of your bags once, you will cut down usage by 50%.
4. Tell a friend.
Get others to use reusable bags. Talk to them about the harm that plastic bags cause and direct them to this website to learn more about the ‘ban the bag’ movement in Darien.
5. Tell a stranger.
when you see someone walking into the grocery store without their own bags, or leaving the grocery store with a cart full of plastic bags, simply ask them if they’ve ever considered bringing their own reusable bags. Maybe, if you have an extra, you can share one of yours with them! Sometimes people just need a simple reminder! (taken from comments by jmg44)
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