There seems to be a new single-use bag ban or ordinance every day, increasing the number of cities that have adopted single use bag bans this year to 42, and the total number of single use bag bans in the U.S. to 79 – nearly two-thirds of them in California.
In addition, Los Angeles – the nation’s second largest city, with a population of 4 million – is set to join that group. Two other communities Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Md. have fees on single use bags handed out at carryout.
Single use bag bans are now in place in 5 of the 29 largest cities in the United States – San Francisco, San Jose, Austin, Seattle and Portland. The nation’s fourth-largest city, Houston, is currently considering a single use bag ban proposal.
Also weighing a decision on single use bags is Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who has a petition urging him not to sign a bill that that passed in the legislature earlier this summer that would mandate single use plastic bag recycling and bar all cities in the state except for Chicago from banning single use plastic carryout bags.
But don’t worry if you’re confused about what’s banned and where, because the details are indeed confusing. These bans, fees and taxes are a patchwork of regulations, with differing standards. It doesn’t matter which side of the issue you stand on, the fact is new single use bag regulations are popping up everywhere, and WE ARE HERE TO HELP. Our retail packaging specialists can help you navigate these regulations and select the best packaging for your stores. We hope that you will contact us by phone at 888-429-5673 or via email at baglaws@swalter.com
Look for our next blog when we dive into the qualifications of a single use bag vs. reusable bag!
