This summer marks a triumph for our town. Lincoln Academy’s Climate Action Club has spent the year campaigning to reduce the use of plastic bags in Damariscotta. We developed a plan in which reusable bags would be sold in local stores. Now our vision has come to fruition. The bags are coming.
Fourteen local businesses, organizations, and individuals have sponsored our campaign. Our bags will be sold at 12 distribution points around town. Collectively we will save 671,000 plastic bags from landfills, 4.8 x 10^10 lbs of CO2, and 400,000,000 BTUs. That makes our town a leader in protecting the environment. Congratulations to all.
Damariscotta merchants were the keystone of this vision and donated $1800 to the campaign. The CAC raised an additional $2500 from citizens and community organizations. In total, that makes $4300 enabling the purchase of 1900 bags.
The bags will be sold for $2. The club will use all proceeds to fund the purchase of a second wave of bags. This will ensure a sustainable process that reduces our town’s dependency on plastic bags.
The bags will be sold in the following local businesses, banks and restaurants: The First, Salt Bay Café, Damariscotta Bank and Trust, Damariscotta River Grille, Waltz’s Pharmacy, Maine Coast Book Shop and Café, Round Top, Skidompha Library, Maine Cloth Diaper, Yellowfront Grocery, Camden National Bank, and Bath Savings Institution. We are so grateful for your participation. Thank you to all.
Our bags are made of nonwoven polypropylene made from 20 percent recycled materials. They are generously sized (13″w x 15″h x 10″d) with 20 inch handles. The bag will be dark green with white print. Both sides of the bag will feature a logo created by CAC members and our sponsors’ names or logos.
One major advantage of polypropylene bags is that they are inexpensive. We are selling the bags for $2, as compared to $8-13 for a canvas bag. This bag has many other benefits: it is durable, compactable, light, breathable, and chemical resistant. It is tear resistant and water repellent.
Polypropylene bags are #5 plastics, which means that they are recyclable. The CAC has contacted a company that specializes in recycling #5 plastics. As our campaign progresses, we will offer opportunities for you to recycle your bags when they begin to wear out.
The goal is to dramatically reduce the use of plastic bags, which are hazardous to the environment. Not only are they comprised of 12 million barrels of oil annually, but just 5 percent of the 100 billion plastic bags used in the U.S. are recycled. The rest are released into the environment.
Plastic bags invade natural biomes and harm animals. They clog waterways, allowing stagnant water to form and creating breeding grounds for diseases. Lastly, plastic bags end up in landfills where they photodegrade, releasing toxic chemicals into the soil. This creates health hazards and water contamination that lasts for 500-1000 years.
Damariscotta now joins other towns, countries and businesses that have taken action against the use of plastic bags. Ireland has established monetary incentives to dissuade the use of plastic bags. Within a few months, plastic bag usage was cut by 90 percent. China, England, and San Francisco have implemented similar efforts.
In addition to reducing pollution and protecting our environment, the reusable bag campaign is an opportunity to set an example for the rest of the state and country. Our town will be recognized as progressive and principled. This is the theme of the Climate Action Club: “First Here, Then Everywhere.”
As a community, we should be proud to have local businesses, organizations, and citizens that are so supportive of the CAC’s efforts and so willing to invest in the reputation of Damariscotta and the future of our planet.
For those of you who didn’t have a chance to support us, there will be more opportunities in the next phase of the campaign. You can let us know of your interest by writing to us at lincolnclimateaction@yahoo.com. The bags will be unique to our town. They represent our commitment to ecological justice and unparalleled town unity. Thank you.
