Boston Plastic Bag Ordinance: What to Know

BOSTON, MA — Boston City Councillors will debate a proposed plastic bag ban Wednesday in Boston, assessing the potential fees and business impacts it would entail.

The proposed ordinance put forth Tuesday includes the following:

• A five cent minimum fee will be charged for bags provided at checkout; those bags must meet requirements of being reusable, recyclable or compostable.
• If retailers violate the ordinance more than once in a year, they can incur penalties of $50 for the first offense and $100 for each additional offense.
• If retailers feel like the new ordinance is a burden on them they can, under specific circumstances, receive a temporary exemption.
• If passed, the law would take effect one year later.

The ban's purpose, as described in the ordinance, "is to reduce the use of disposable checkout bags by Retail Establishments in the City of Boston, curb litter on the streets, protect marine environment, waterways, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and solid waste, and to promote the use of Reusable Bags by Retail Establishments located in the City."

It is sponsored by Councilors Matt O’Malley and Michelle Wu, and has been studied by committee and vetted during public forums over the past three months.

It's inspired by similar such bans in Seattle, Washington, and—closer to home—Cambridge.

Boston's neighbor across the river passed its own plastic bag ban, which took effect in March. There, retailers can charge a fee of 10 cents for providing paper, reusable or compostable bags to shoppers. If a business finds the ordinance presents an undue hardship, it can request a temporary exemption. Otherwise, businesses may be fined $300 per day.

We've asked our readers in the past what they think of the proposed ban, and results were mixed.

While many emailed to say they support the ban and its positive impact on the environment, others worried about paper bags unable to carry heavy or damp items (think gallons of milk) or reusable bags potentially contaminated by other groceries (think raw meat). Those of us here at Patch who use cloth and other reusable bags haven't noticed problems like these, but we're curious what you think.

Do you have an opinion on the proposed ordinance? Please let us know by commenting below.

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