In the summer of 2017, Jennifer Clark, Anni Crofut, Wendy Kleinman, Marcia Arland and Marj Wexler, comprising the Environment Committee of the Berkshire Women’s Action Group, met to discuss how we could make a difference. Together we saw the movie “A Plastic Ocean,” and we decided to show it again in Great Barrington. To pay for the rights to show the movie, we collected bottles and cans at the Egremont Transfer Station and redeemed them. A plan was taking shape.
We agreed that the most egregious of all single-use plastics was the plastic water bottle. We talked with merchants who would be affected, especially small merchants who worried about the loss of revenue in the summer months. We talked with Great Barrington officials, high school students, and other environmental groups.
We found that we had a lot of support, and we proceeded to create an article for the town warrant. We presented our work, and the bylaw was approved at two Town Meetings during the summer of 2018.