Voters have rescinded the town’s ban on single-use plastic water bottles before it was set to go into effect in January. The petition article was approved at the special town meeting by a 169-131 vote, overturning the town’s ban on the water bottles approved at the May annual town meeting. Ten Cape towns have voted to ban the retail sale of single-use plastic water bottles.
Close to a dozen voters went to the microphone to speak out on the article to undo the bottle ban — with comments about equally divided on the issue. Supporters of the petition cited the negative impact the ban might have on older or disabled people, who they said could have difficulty lifting and pouring from larger gallon jugs of water — as well as the problem of finding easily available bottled water after a storm or power outage.
Other opponents cited the lack of water “filling stations” that town officials had suggested would be installed in several locations to provide free access to water. They also said they worried about a loss in tourism if people found they had to travel away from town to obtain bottled water.