The suggestion that bag bans are sought only by the wealthy few is not borne by the facts (“Don’t sack my plastic bags’’). The Mass Green Network, which I founded last year to connect people working to reduce waste in their communities, has more than 250 active members in more than 50 towns and cities. Mass Green members were responsible for 18 bylaws and regulations passed this spring, in such diverse towns as Bridgewater, Ipswich, and Framingham. Others are working to pass bag bans in Plymouth, Springfield, and Boston. Among the latter are community groups in East Boston, Dorchester, and Mission Hill.

As for the proposed 10 cent charge, the fact is that people already pay for the bags that they supposedly get for free. Retailers in the United States pay $4 billion a year for disposable bags. The average supermarket spends $1,000 a week. Those costs are passed on to the consumers. The 10 cent charge only makes a hidden cost plain.

Experience shows that once people see what they are paying for, they recognize the truth that industry spokespeople try to conceal: Reusable bags are not only better for the environment, they are also much more economical.

Brad Verter

Cambridge