Here’s Your Latest Bag Ban News

Find Out More About State-Wide Bag Ban Efforts

The single-use plastic bag ban movement is always growing and more and more cities and states are considering bag bans of their own. We track the movement on our U.S. bag ban map, but we wanted to take a deeper look at the latest bag ban news. Learn more about the latest developments in the bag ban movement and find out which states are close to passing bans.

Impending State Bag Bans

A few years ago, the bag ban movement was largely confined to cities and counties, but once California passed its state-wide bag ban that set several other states on a course to ban bags.

• New York: The single-use plastic bag ban will go into action on March 1, 2020. The law gives counties the option to impose a fee on paper bags.
• Maine: Single-use plastic bags will be banned in Maine, starting on Earth Day, which is April 22, 2020. Businesses can provide paper bags for a fee.
• Vermont: Single-use plastic bags will be banned in the Green Mountain State as of July 1, 2020. The ban imposes a 10-cent fee on paper bags.
• Delaware: The bag ban in Delaware prohibits the use of single-use shopping bags at large stores and will begin on January 1, 2021.
• Connecticut: The first phase of Connecticut’s ban rolled out on August 1, 2019, with a 10-cent plastic bag fee. The fee will give way to a bag ban on July 1, 2021.

Growing Bag Ban Movement

Even more states are working toward bag bans or legislation of their own, so it’s very likely that before long the number of states with bag bans will be in the double digits. We will continue to keep an eye on the latest developments and will let you know as news breaks. Here is a breakdown of which states are close to bag laws.

Massachusetts

Last fall, the Massachusetts state Senate approved a bill that would ban single-use plastic bags. The bill will go before the House next. If the current bill becomes law it will mandate a 10-cent fee on recyclable or reusable bags.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island almost passed a single-use plastic bag ban last year, and if Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio has his way, 2020 will be the year the bag ban is passed. The updated version of the bill addresses the issues that held back the 2019 version, so it’s anticipated the ban will not meet the same resistance.

Washington

The Washington state Senate has once again approved a bill calling to ban single-use plastic bags. The bill will go before the House, where previous efforts to ban bags at the state level have failed.

New Hampshire

The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted in favor of banning single-use plastic bags. The measure will go to the Senate for review. The ban would allow for paper bags made from recycled content and thicker plastic bags deemed reusable would also be available for a 10-cent fee.

Maryland

A bill in Maryland calls to ban disposable plastic bags and impose a fee on paper bags. If approved the bag ban would go into effect in July of 2021. Earlier efforts failed to gain the necessary support, but lawmakers have addresses concerns and are confident the current bill will become law.

Virginia

Two proposals in Virginia call to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags through the use of fees. Both bills are sponsored by lawmakers who have made earlier efforts to reduce the use of plastic bags.

Stay Connect with the Latest Bag Ban News

Big things are happening in regards to the bag ban movement and this could very likely be the year several states pass bag bans. This means there will be even more of a demand for custom reusable bags that can help your customers and your brand. It is exciting to see all of this hard work paying off and we look forward to seeing the impact of these bags as they become official. Always stay in the know as bag ban news breaks, as well as when we offer eco specials and more when you sign up for our newsletter.

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