No plastic bags allowed. That could be the new sign in Chelsea stores as the small city debates the idea of banning them, following the lead of San Francisco and other cities.

 

Excerpt:

 

Zach Byrne isn't particular about what kind of shopping bags customers use at the Country Market in Chelsea.

 

Byrne, who regularly bags groceries and helps customers carry them to their cars, knows that whether the bags are paper, plastic or cloth, "they're all still heavy."

But some elected officials care. Chelsea City Council Member Frank Hammer is one of them.

 

Although he says he generally "loathes enacting any legislation that adds government control," Hammer wants to consider banning plastic bags in the city, following the lead of San Francisco and other places.

 

"As gas prices edge toward $4 a gallon and our nation is seeking ways to increase our energy independence, this is an opportunity for Chelsea to add a small step in the process," Hammer wrote in a new report to the City Council.

 

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