To The Editor:

I would like to applaud the Big Y on their commitment to phase out single-use bags at checkout. They are joining other business leaders who are responding to the growing challenges and hazards created by the massive amounts of trash we produce and to citizens who care about these issues and are happy to take personal responsibility to solve the problem.

People are realizing that there is no such thing as a free bag. We pay for them many times over. First, we use valuable oil — a non-renewable resource — to produce and ship billions of bags a year in the US, nearly all of which are immediately thrown away. Some are reused, some are recycled, but most end up in the trash and in the environment. Second, the bags cost the stores money, and that money is figured into the prices we pay at checkout. Third, it costs taxpayers a significant amount of money to manage the disposal of those bags.

As a citizen, I am personally committed to Connecticut’s trash reduction goals, and as a consumer, I’m happy to have more and more socially responsible businesses to choose from.

Lisa Rioni

7 Juniper Road, Newtown          January 16, 2019