Citizens of Camden will have the opportunity to take the lead on banning single-use plastics on the November ballot.  Article 2 bans single-use bags and puts a fee of $.10 on paper bags at stores selling food staples.  Article 8 bans the use of expanded polystyrene at restaurants and other food providers.  

These articles are testimony to sensible and quintessentially New England ideals of conservation; there is something unseemly and disingenuous in having a beautiful, beloved library sitting at the head of our harbor and yet not take researched measures that are aimed at preservation of the water in its view. 

The small and passing convenience of a polyethelene shopping bag is in grotesque contrast to the damage that same polyethelene bag does to the environment.  Passing these two articles would enable Camden residents to take the lead at a time when there is a need for massive global action.  As coastal residents, we are gatekeepers and stewards of this beloved environment, the small section of what we care for here in the Mid-Coast region. 

If you are interested in reading more, please see this pdf entitled Single Use Plastics: A Road Map for Sustainability.  It is a comprehensive and well written guide for communities such as ours.  

Vote “yes” on  Articles 2 and 8 on November 6!

Elphie Owen lives in Camden