Times have changed, but the formula remains stuck in 1949. The wealth disparities between neighboring towns simply did not exist at anything like their current scale. The founders of the regional school system could not have foreseen the inequity their formula has imposed on most towns today.
These refill stations are extremely hygienic, as no skin or mouth contact is needed to refill your bottle. The units will be owned and maintained by the town.
Rome was not built in a day. Banning the sale of single-use plastic bottles is a start. It builds the momentum begun by Concord, and creates a model for other towns to emulate.
Forty businesses and organizations have signed off on the Great Barrington proposal. There are some high-profile businesses on the list, including Guido’s, Prairie Whale and Soco. Most recently the Berkshire Co-op Market came on board.
For a month from mid-January to mid-February, Edge readers could dine at one of 15 participating restaurants, ask their servers for an entry form and send the completed form to the Edge.
If it passes at town meeting, the GB On Tap program intends to provide additional drinking fountains and bottle refilling stations throughout town. In addition, it will help participating merchants and restaurants offer refillable water bottles for sale.
Let’s hope that China’s ban on several types of scrap plastic will push our society to rethink our reliance on plastic and also force us to come up with more options for its post-consumer use.
