FOUR key US states are in the process of rolling out and expanding legislation banning a common item found at the grocery store.
They are taking strides to limit the use of single-use plastics and encourage more sustainable shopping habits.
Plastic bags, an all-too-common grocery store staple, are highly toxic to our environment, polluting landfills and waterways with microplastics and chemicals.
Roughly five trillion plastic bags are used across the world each year, and an average of 365 bags are used by Americans per person per year, per the Center for Biological Diversity.
Because plastic bags are used in excessive amounts and wreak havoc on our environment, several US states are instituting laws to discourage the use of the destructive bags at the grocery store, pharmacies, and other businesses.
State governments seeking to limit single-use plastic take a number of measures, such as implementing recycling programs, banning disposable bags, and charging for plastic bags.
Four states are working to cut down on single-use plastics, with legislation under way to significantly reduce consumers’ use of the harmful grocery item.
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania already has approximately 40 local plastic bag bans in the state, mostly around Philadelphia, impacting roughly 2.6 million residents.
Efforts to implement a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags is underway, led by Senator Judith Schwank.
She has introduced legislation that would prohibit retailers and businesses from providing plastic bags at point-of-sale areas.
Under the new law, recyclable paper bags would be available for a small fee, with exceptions to the fee made for items such as produce, frozen foods, and prescriptions.
There is still opposition to the proposed bill and it is unclear when the new regulations would take effect if passed.
OREGON
Oregon is also working to reduce single-use plastic use, with Democratic Governor Tina Kotek signing a bill into law at the start of June that closed a loophole in a 2020 law.
The new legislation rules that grocers, restaurants, and other retailers in Oregon will not be permitted to give consumers thicker, reusable plastic bags at checkout.
The thicker plastic bags were made so that customers could reuse them multiple times, although that is rarely the case.
“Wasteful disposable plastics like thick plastic checkout bags aren’t just annoying for consumers, they add unnecessary costs to our Oregon businesses, and are contributing to an ever increasing pile of plastic trash that is harming the environment and public health,” said Democratic senator Janeen Sollman, the bill’s chief sponsor.
Which states have single-use plastic bag bans?
Several states have enforced strict rules against retailer handing out these bags to shoppers.
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Maine
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
Source: World Economic Forum
The new law is scheduled to take effect in 2027.
The state previously banned thinner plastic bags in 2020, meaning that in the next two years, only paper or reusable fabric bags can be provided at checkout.
CALIFORNIA
California became the first state to pass a plastic bag ban over 10 years ago, eliminating the sale of thin single-use bags.
However, a loophole in the state’s initial ban permitted grocers to sell thicker plastic bags for 10 cents, under the idea that consumers would reuse them.
This led to California dumping over 230,000 tons of plastic grocery and merchandise bags in landfills in 2021, per the state’s recycling agency, a major uptick from the year the ban was rolled out.
As The Golden State backtracks on the loophole, shoppers at most grocery stores, convenience stores, and other retailers will be limited to three options beginning on January 1, 2026.
They can either shell out 10 cents or more for a paper bag, bring a reusable bag, or hand-carry their items.
Starting in 2028, the new legislation requires that paper bags at retailers be composed of at least 50% postconsumer recycled materials.
MICHIGAN
Michigan is another US state looking to take environmentally conscious efforts to reduce its pollution.
Two Democrats in the Senate and House – Morgan Foreman and Sue Shink – proposed separate bills in March that would repeal a 2016 law that prevented plastic bags from being banned, limited, or taxed.
If signed into law, the Michigan legislation would hand control of plastic bag policy to local governments, permitting them to ban single-use plastics and allowing grocery stores to ban the bags.
Shink’s bill was introduced March 20 with six Democratic co-sponsors, referred to the Senate Energy And Environment Committee for consideration.
Foreman’s bill came a few days after with 16 Democratic co-sponsors and has been referred to the House Regulatory Reform Committee.
Read up on the 12 major US states with laws banning plastic bags – failure to follow the rules means that shoppers face fees.
Plus, check out the first major US retailer to eliminate plastic bags at stores, with the CEO promising “reduced costs” for shoppers.
