Several States eliminate single-use plastic bags to curb pollution and adopt more sustainable practices.
Banned On Single-Use Plastic Bags: Here Are The List Of States That Support The Initiative (PHOTO: ASI Central)
Single-Use Plastic Bags Policy
Americans use roughly 100 billion single-use plastic bags are mostly used for shopping and thrown away every year. Back then plastic bags joined supermarkets and retail chains during the 1970s and 1980s. Shoppers usually used paper bags to bring groceries and other merchandise back home from stores. However, Retailers switched to plastic bags because they were cheaper.
The danger of plastic can cause a variety of environmental dangers. Plastic production is a primary source of fossil fuel emissions that contribute to the climate crisis and extreme weather events. Because of that some states initiate to impose elimination of the usage of plastic bags, with many requiring shops to charge five or 10 cents for every bag purchased. To avoid this, you should bring your reusable bag from home.
Here Are The List Of Some States That Eliminates The Use Of Single-Use Plastic Bags
- California
California was the first state to ban single-use plastic carryout bags for customers before they reach the checkout counter in 2016.
- Connecticut
Connecticut’s plastic eliminations went into effect on July 1, 2021. This ended the 10-cent fee on plastic bags that was previously established. Now, stores suggest paper bags or reusable ones, including a plastic bag that is thicker and thus can be used again. However, some stores will demand an additional fee for this.
- New Jersey
New Jersey has one of the strictest plastic bag bans in place, even paper bags has meant grocery delivery services have switched to heavy-duty bags. In the garden state, single-use plastic or paper bags are not allowed to sell as an alternative for shoppers.
This effectively makes it illegal for stores, restaurants, and other businesses to provide plastic bags to customers. All grocery stores implemented to use bags made of polypropylene material or cloth, with stitched handles and designed for at least 125 reuses.
- Maine
The state of Maine decided to take action in restricting plastic bags to help lessen pollution. The ban was enacted in 2021 and mandated grocers and large retailers that offer carryout bags to charge a 5-cent fee for each bag unless shoppers were using reusable bags not made of plastic.
- New York
Since 2020 New York banned single-use plastic bags. Shoppers are advised to bring the bags, but if they fail to do so, they might have to purchase a reusable option for extra.
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