April 20, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
While the warrant article asking voters to ban the retail sale of single-use plastic water bottles in Hingham is on the April 24 Town Meeting agenda, an earlier article related to prohibiting their procurement, sale, and distribution at the town level is not included.
Instead, the proposed article was put into “Select Board policy format, with an exemption carved out for first responders,” Chair William Ramsey explained following an update by Town Administrator Tom Mayo.
The first responder exemption was included to allow firefighters to easily access single-serve plastic water bottles from a cooler during an emergency “to rest and refresh themselves prior to reengaging with a fire,” Mayo said. There could be a similar exception for the Police Department.
It’s time for the town to do this, Select Board member Joseph Fisher said. “We need to do our part in reducing reliance on single-use water bottles and the procurement, sale, and distribution of them [on the municipal side, including the schools].”
The new policy will go into effect in September.
Cleaner Greener Hingham member Tony George called implementation of such a policy “a small step in the grand scheme, but one that is important to the long-term elimination of waste as a community.”
George believes that already having this policy in place will have a positive impact on the Town Meeting vote on the proposed townwide ban on the retail sale of single-use water bottles in Hingham.
The purpose of the proposed ban is to promote the use of reusable bottles by consumers, “thereby reducing local land and marine pollution, reducing waste, protecting the town’s unique natural beauty and irreplaceable natural resources, and improving the quality of life for the residents of Hingham.”
Full details are included in the Town Meeting warrant that was mailed to every Hingham household.