I am writing on behalf of Bring You Own GROTON − that’s Bring Your Own Bag − a group popping up in towns all over the state. On Tuesday the Groton Town Council will hold a public hearing on an ordinance about reducing plastic waste in Groton. The hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Groton Town Annex. 

This ordinance is a key step toward presenting Groton as an attractive town to live and work in. It will ban plastic check-out bags, plastic straws, stirrers and polystyrene cups, bowls and clamshells. I’ve picked up many of these items along Route 117 and Route 1. They litter our streets and end up in our waters, poisoning fish and birds. Most important, science tells us that toxic chemicals, which are especially dangerous for children, leach from polystyrene when heated. 

To date, 20 Connecticut towns have passed bans on single-use plastic bags, and some have passed polystyrene bans. Another 20 or 30 are considering bans on both these items. Let’s get ahead of this curve and show support for the plastics ban ordinance for a cleaner, greener Groton! 

Elizabeth Raisbeck

Co-chair, Groton Conservation Advocates

Groton