HINGHAM – In keeping with the Master Plan and its environmental goals, the Hingham Select Board, in collaboration with the Cleaner Greener Hingham Committee, enacted a town policy restricting sale and distribution of single use plastic water bottles by town departments.
Effective Sept. 1, town departments will be prohibited from selling or distributing single-use plastic water bottles at events or in their offices. The policy will be in effect at all town and school events where single-use water bottles may have previously been available. The Select Board adopted this policy earlier this year, and will enable town government to lead the way in a broader transition away from single-use plastics that contribute to increased waste and litter.
The Town is working to make resources available to the community, to support the transition. The town was recently awarded funds from the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund (NEGEF) to install a hydration station at a Cronin Field. The $3,400 grant award reflects a partnership including the Hingham Recreation Department, the Weir River Water System, Cleaner Greener Hingham, and Hingham Net Zero.
“The fight against a changing climate begins locally,” said Maria Zade, Chair of the Cleaner Greener Hingham Committee. “We recognize that behavior changes may be challenging at first, but they are important to mitigating the climate crisis, as fossil fuels are needed to create plastic.
The elimination of plastic bottle distribution at town events comes in addition to a newly-adopted bylaw that prohibits the retail sale of single-use plastic water bottles within the Town of Hingham. This measure takes effect on January 1, 2024.
These changes are in support of the Town of Hingham’s Master Plan and Climate Action Plan and, which lays out a roadmap for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.