The Board of Health is expected to take up the issue of banning plastic bags at its Feb. 12 meeting at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.
Many neighboring communities and across the Commonwealth have banned plastic bags. In these communities, people are bringing their own bags or using the paper bag supplied by the store.
Public Health Director Michele Desmarais said the idea for the bag ban came on the heels of other communities doing the same. She noted that in the area Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem and Boston have all switched to paper bags.
“It’s important to be business-friendly but also environmentally friendly,” Desmarais said. “We hope we are giving businesses enough time to use up their supply of plastic bags and have them buy paper bags.”
A public hearing about the ban of plastic bags is expected to be held at the March meeting of the Board of Health. Desmarais is looking at September 1 as a possible start date.
“Lynn is an ocean side community and we must consider the marine environment and the litter that we generate,” she said.