
Store Closings Reduce Availability of Binghamton Garbage Bags
Some Binghamton residents have found it tougher to buy "official" city garbage bags because of recent store closings.
Binghamton has been using the bag system for more than three decades. Supporters of the plan said it was designed to charge people for the amount of garbage they actually generate.
According to the city website, medium and large bags are sold at most grocery stores and retail pharmacies. Small bags are available at City Hall and at the First Ward Senior Center.
City councilmember Hadassah Mativetsky, who represents the 5th District, is concerned about the easy availability of the so-called "blue bags." She notes two South Side stores - the Weis supermarket on Conklin Avenue and the CVS Pharmacy on Pennsylvania Avenue - have closed recently.
Mativetsky said a listing she found of stores selling the official city garbage bags was not up-to-date. She said it included stores that no longer exist.
She told WNBF News that she's been working to recruit more retailers to consider stocking the blue bags to make it easier for residents to buy them.
Official Binghamton garbage bags may be purchased online through Amazon. An order of 20 large blue bags now costs $46.75, according to the Amazon web site. The same number of bags would cost $38 if purchased at City Hall or at a store.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: Email bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.
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