12 major US states with law banning common item in grocery stores – failure to follow means shoppers face fees

AT least 12 states have a law that bans a common item in grocery stores.

Consumers must stay vigilant, as not following the rule and using replacement options could result in extra fees.

GETTY

Back in 2016, California was the very first state to implement a single-use plastic bag ban at retailers.

Since then, 11 others have joined, including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

The law is often implemented purely as an effort to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment.

On average, Americans use about 100 billion plastic bags every year, which equates to around 300 per person per year, according to data from Environment America.

Beyond Plastics notes that the worldwide plastic bag use number is as high as 5 trillion.

Four visits for the average family to the grocery store means about 60 plastic bags.

Plastic bags also account for around 10% of the debris found on the coastlines of the United States, creating what’s known as “plastic gyres” in the ocean.

Gyres are rotating ocean currents, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

So, when garbage builds up in them, it creates a large and concentrated area.

Additionally, plastics are still only recycled 9% of the time and make up 19% of landfills.

While the bag ban is for a good cause, shoppers are left paying an added fee in the 12 states and numerous cities who have it for other bags, like paper.

Pennsylvania could be the 13th state soon to have the single-use plastic bag ban.

Legislation was proposed by Senator Judith Schwank (D), which stemmed from students at Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington, 61 miles outside of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia already has a ban of its own, which has contributed to reductions of around 200 million plastic bags since 2018.

The proposed bill did detail fees on alternative bag options to further encourage consumers to bring their own.

So far, there is opposition to the bill, and it remains unclear if or when it will pass.

Individual retailers have also made efforts to reduce plastic bag usage.

ALDI’S MISSION

Aldi has arguably been the leader of these efforts.

In January 2024, it became the first major supermarket chain to completely eliminate plastic bags at its over 2,500 stores.

Customers have cited a fee of around 12 cents to use paper bags as a result.

Aldi is also seeking to convert to completely natural refrigerants in the next decade.

Consumers in Michigan could also soon see a plastic bag ban.

Some shoppers were also left raging over the ban recently, fuming that officials would “ban sun if they could.”