Why You Now Pay 10 Cents For Paper Bags in Newton

NEWTON, MA —If you've been to the grocery store and forgotten your reusable bag in the car, you might notice that if you opted for the paper bags, you're getting charged. Since January 8, a new city ordnance is in effect, in an effort to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags, rather than the single use bags.

Plastic bags have been banned in Newton since 2015, but because of what some Newton City Councilors referred to as a loophole, thicker plastic bags like the recycled ones Star Market used to give out for free were allowed. Opponents argued it still plastic, and it still would adversely impact the waste stream to have so much plastic make its way to the landfill.

City Council voted in July 2019 to ban the thick types of plastic bags and add a 10 cent fee to those who opted for paper bags beginning this year.

The 10-cent charge for recyclable paper bags provided by the retailer went into effect at Newton’s largest stores (3,500-square feet or bigger such as CVS and Star Market for example) on Jan. 1. It will expand to about 500 other smaller retail establishments on July 8.

If a shop wants to provide bags to customers, the bag has to be either recyclable paper bag or a reusable checkout bag made of cloth. And if they do provide a bag, they have to charge 10 cents. If a shop doesn't follow the law, they could be fined up to $300 for violations.

Retailers get to keep the 10 cents to help for buying reusable and recyclable bags.

The proposal came a year after Boston's move to do the same.

There are exceptions to the rule: The ordinance does not include Meals on Wheels food delivery service to home bound persons with disabilities. The ordinance provides the following exemptions for plastic bag use: dry cleaning/laundry, a bag used to contain unwrapped food like produce, a bag without handles that is used to protect items from damaging other items such as protecting wine bottles or vegetables, newspaper bags, bags used to contain loose produce, and paper bags given to customers at a pharmacy for medication, according to the city.

Previously:

Newton Unanimously Bans Plastic Bags ( 2015)

Boston's Plastic Bag Ban Begins (Dec.2018)

Newton Could Ban More Plastic Bags, Impose 10 Cent ( Feb. 2019)

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).