Both Berkshire County cities last year spent months if not years, talking about banning single-use plastic bags but they might find business is moving ahead of them.

iBerkshires.com reports Big Y Foods Inc., one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England, will eliminate its use of the bags from all 70 of its markets, specialty stores and Big Y Express Gas and Convenience locations in 2020.

That decision was prompted, in part, by local towns that have already prohibited the use of the bags. The 83-year-old company says it has been complying with bag bans in Adams (which launched a free bag initiative), Amherst, Great Barrington, Lee, Northampton, and South Hadley since 2014.

The supermarket has locations in North Adams and Pittsfield, and both cities and the other towns also have other grocers and department stores. Aldis and Price Rite either do not supply or charge for bags and Price Chopper has complied with local bans and encouraged customers to shift to reusables.

Pittsfield is still sitting on a potential ordinance banning the wide use of the bags while North Adams councilors determined to wait until the state made a move before instituting any prohibitions. One concern was the cost of replacing the bags with sturdier, reusable bags that can cost anywhere from 99 cents to $5.

Big Y says it will be offering discounted pricing and promotions on its reusable bags throughout 2019 to help customers transition.

 

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