Baltimore County should require stores to recycle unwanted plastic | READER COMMENTARY

Three cheers to the Baltimore County Council for banning plastic grocery bags. I sent an email to my councilman to express my support and to ask if the grocery stores would still be the locations to provide recycling collection for all of the other thin film plastic that I bring home from the store. The response I got was that the regulation did not “require” groceries to provide recycling collection for thin films. But, the aide who responded said; “I sure hope they do [continue to collect thin film for recycling].”

I have been bringing my own fabric bags to the grocery for years, but the check-out bags are only a part of the problem. Bread bags, frozen fruit bags, fresh vegetable bags, pre-bagged potatoes, meat packaging — all come in thin film plastic bags or wrapping (“Paper, plastic — or reusable? Bring Your Own Bag Act to take effect in Baltimore County,” Oct. 30).

So today I went to the grocery store and brought my plastic bag of thin film bags with me to place in the recycle bin. Oops! No bin. I wonder if the banning of plastic grocery bags may create a bigger problem than it solves.

I am not advocating a reversal of the bag ban. I am advocating that the council finish the job by providing recycling collection for all of the other bags. Perhaps the solution is already in place and the council will consider how to assure maximum recycling continues. Perhaps I just didn’t get the memo.

I sure hope so.

— Larry Williams, Towson

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