45°
Those concerns, it turns out, may not be warranted.
On Friday, Jan. 1, a citywide ban on single-use plastic bags will go into effect in Springfield.
The measure was supposed to be implemented earlier, with bags removed from all stores by Dec. 1, but city officials delayed the start due to COVID-19 and concerns about how reusable bags may increase the risk of spreading the virus.
With more information about COVID-19 and how the disease is spread now available, the National Institutes of Health and National Library of Medicine is promoting a Virginia Institute study that dug through the research to conclude that COVID-19 is unlikely to be spread by reusable bags.
Due to the infrequency that someone takes their reusable shopping bags to the grocer (3 times a week at most) as well as COVID-19’s quick deterioration on surfaces, reusable bags should not pose a health threat, the study said.
In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said, as recently as November, that “there is no evidence of food, food containers, or food packaging being associated with [the] transmission of COVID-19.”
On Jan. 1, Springfield retailers will either switch from plastic bags to recyclable paper bags, compostable and marine-degradable plastic bags, or reusable checkout bags.
Plastic bag bans have popped up in communities across the U.S. as a way to reduce unrecyclable waste.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Hampden and receive free news updates.
