The state’s new ban on plastic bags will come into force on 1 January.
This means that stores can no longer distribute plastic bags for single use.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control in Delaware says consumers should bring reusable bags to stores and clean / disinfect the bags.
“The ban is aimed at reducing litter on the beach and along the road, saving the landfill, increasing recycling efforts and helping recycling facilities close when plastic bags get stuck in the machinery,” officials said.
Shawn Garvin, DNREC secretary, said each Delaware resident uses about 434 plastic bags, meaning nearly 2,400 tons of plastic bags end up in state landfills.
“A reduction in plastic bags by the public can mitigate a large portion of this waste, and help our environment by reducing the amount of plastic bags on our roads and waterways that could harm us and our wildlife,” Garvin said.
Retailers can choose to offer paper bags, or cloth bags, or a thicker type of plastic bag designed to be reusable. Or stores may decide (as always before) not to supply suitcases to customers at all.
The law allows retail stores to charge a fee for the suitcases they provide at the point of sale.
DNREC advises consumers to wash or disinfect their reusable bags by turning them inside out and wiping with a disinfectant after each use.
Officials explain that under the law, plastic carrier bags are no longer available at larger stores (more than 7,000 square feet) as well as smaller stores with at least three locations in Delaware of 3,000 square feet each or more. Supermarkets and large box stores are affected, as well as retail stores. Restaurants are not subject to the ban, nor are small shops with one or two places.
DNREC has compiled a list of questions and answers to help guide retailers.
Plastic bag ban in Philly
For people in Philadelphia, you have a little longer before a bag ban takes effect.
The ban in the city was delayed by six months.
So instead of starting on New Year’s Day, it will officially go into effect on July 1st.
Businesses must follow movements on July 31, 2021 to notify customers of the ban. The ban on plastic bags will start on October 1, 2021.
However, the city plans to give businesses warnings, not fines, until April 2, 2022 when it will fully implement the ban.
“Implementation has been delayed due to the impact of COVID-19 on the business community, especially small businesses,” city officials said.
Officials said businesses are being encouraged to phase out their stock of plastic bags as soon as possible.
The Philadelphia ban applies to all retail businesses of all sizes in the city that make bags available for transportation (such as food, clothing, household items, etc.) and / or for delivery. These businesses include operations, indoor or outdoor, where food or other products are offered for sale to the public, including supermarkets, convenience stores, shops, service stations, department stores, clothing stores, restaurants, food trucks, farmers markets and delivery. services.
Philadelphia, according to the city, uses about one billion plastic bags annually.
There is no state ban in Pennsylvania.
New Jersey’s bag ban begins in 2022
In November, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a one-time ban on plastic bags and paper bags from May 2022.
Murphy said the ban is an important step in reducing damage and pollution the products cause to the environment.
“Plastic bags are one of the most problematic forms of garbage, leading to millions of garbage bags flowing to our landfills, rivers and oceans every year,” Murphy said on the day he signed the bill. “By signing today’s historic bill, we are directly addressing the issue of plastic pollution with solutions that will help mitigate climate change and strengthen our environment for future generations.”
The ban on New Jersey also includes disposable food containers and cups made of polystyrene foam.
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