Downing Encourages Residents to BYOB

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BOSTON - State Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, is joining state organizations in encouraging the state's to BYOB - bring your own bag - when shopping today. Today is "Reusable Bag Day" in Massachusetts and the Department of Environmental Protection, Massachusetts Audubon Society and the Massachusetts Food Association are hoping consumers eschew traditional bags. Retailers across the commonwealth will encourage customers to bring in their own bags or purchase a reusable bag rather than using a onetime use paper or plastic bag at the check-out counter. "I commend the concerted effort between state agencies, policy-makers and Massachusetts businesses to reduce waste and pollution while promoting responsible environmental stewardship," said Downing in a statement. The senator co-sponsored the Legislature's resolution creating the day. "Reusable Bag Day will raise awareness on how each individual can make a difference." The day is modeled after Hong Kong's "No Plastic Bags Please Day" and Singapore's "Bring Your Own Bag Day," which have resulted in dramatic drops in the consumption of one-time bag use by encouraging consumers to bring their own bag, use a reusable bag, or go bagless. In Hong Kong, participating retailers distributed 40 percent fewer plastic bags and in Singapore, more than 100,000 plastic bags were conserved and more than 20,000 reusable bags were sold, according to press release from the senator's office.e One-time-use bags are quickly becoming a major environmental problem in Massachusetts and around the world. According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, more than 380 billion plastic bags, sacks, and wraps are consumed in the United States each year while only one percent of these bags are recycled. On the flip side, the production of paper bags has been blamed for exacerbating global warming by destroying trees. "Reusable bags are a perfect example of sustainability, where resources are being used efficiently and unnecessary waste is prevented," said MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt in a statement. "Reusable Bag Day raises consumer awareness on how each of us, in our own way, can prevent waste and promote more sustainable living." Reusable Bag Day is aimed at highlighting the environmental advantages of reusable bags. The bags are designed to last for years and, over their lifetime, can replace up to 1,000 one-time-use bags. They are made of renewable resources, such as cloth and cotton, and therefore do not rob the Earth of valuable and rapidly depleting natural resources. Also, they often biodegrade naturally, unlike many one-time-use bags, freeing up increasingly limited landfill space being filled with millions of one-time-use bags every day, according to Downing's press release. Many retailers across the commonwealth have begun selling reusable bags for a nominal fee and displaying them near the cashiers in order to encourage their use. "Retailers continue to support education and consumer awareness about the importance of protecting our environmental resources by using reusable bags and the proper use, disposal and recycling of other bags," said Christopher Flynn, president of the Massachusetts Food Association, a non-profit trade association for the food distribution industry that represents 95 percent of the food sales in the state. "Why harm the environment and waste resources with disposable bags? Reusing bags makes sense and makes a difference," said Jennifer Ryan of the Mass Audubon Society.
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant. 

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

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