Salem, MA plastic bag ban — begins Jan. 1, 2018

Are you ready? The ordinance was passed last fall and now the beginning date is a few days away; Salem, MA will enforce a plastic bag ban going into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

Per the letter to Salem businesses:
“Last fall, the Salem City Council passed an ordinance that restricts the use of single use plastic checkout bags, provided at the point of sale, by all retail and food establishments in the City of Salem. With this action, Salem joins 53 cities and towns in Massachusetts, including the nearby communities of Marblehead, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Hamilton, and Ipswich, in restricting the use of these bags. This information is being provided so that businesses may prepare and use up their existing supplies of non-compliant plastic bags ahead of the January 1, 2018 effective date.

What Bags Are Prohibited?
Disposable plastic shopping bags with handles and a thickness of 4 mil or less, that are used for the purpose of carrying away goods from the point of sale.

This includes:
– Degradable plastic bags
– Bio-Degradable plastic bags whether they are compostable or not

What Bags Are Allowed?
a. Reusable washable bags with a minimum lifetime of 125 uses, capable of carrying at least 22 pounds, can be cleaned 125 times, and if plastic, is thicker than 4 mil.
b. Produce or product bags, whether plastic or not, without handles, in which loose produce, bulk products, or meats are placed to deliver such items to the point of sale. These bags are allowed because they contain moisture and prevent contamination of certain foods whether pre-packaged or not.
c. Paper bags of any size must be marked 100% recyclable with 40% post-consumer recycled content.
d. Newspaper bags.
e. Laundry or dry cleaner bags.”

More information can be found on the City of Salem’s website here.