It pains me every time I shop for groceries in the state’s capital, Augusta, to see hundreds of plastic bags leaving the store destined eventually for landfill and our oceans, where they harm fish, whale, and mollusks, and pollute the water itself. Everyone knows about this by now. It pleases me to note shoppers who get it bringing their own bags to shop, but they are still a substantial minority.

Thirteen Maine towns have either banned plastic bags entirely or charge a five-cent fee per bag: Bath, York, Freeport, Brunswick, Kennebunk, Saco, Belfast, Rockland, Portland, South Portland, Topsham, Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth. Boston also banned them. Either way these measures reduce plastic use and waste. What, I ask, is holding up the capital city of our state, which is supposed to be an exemplar, from doing the same?

Of the eight members of the Augusta City Council I contacted about this issue by email, only one replied: the mayor himself. The others apparently do not care. Mayor Dave Rollins told me he will bring up this issue at a council meeting.

If you feel strongly about banning plastic bags in Augusta, contact the Augusta City Council and let the mayor know you support his effort. We all need to do our bit to keep our planet as plastic free as possible for ourselves and for future generations who could inherit a terrible mess unless we act.

Barbara Skapa

Mount Vernon