The new state law to ban plastic bags goes into effect on January 1.
This means that stores will no longer be able to distribute disposable plastic bags.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control says consumers should bring reusable bags to stores and clean / disinfect those bags between uses.
“The ban was designed to reduce waste on the beach and by the road, save space in landfills, increase recycling efforts and prevent recycling facilities from having to close when plastic bags get stuck in machines,” officials said.
DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin said that each Delaware resident uses approximately 434 plastic bags, meaning that nearly 2,400 tons of plastic bags end up in state landfills.
“A reduction in the public of plastic bags to take can mitigate a large part of this waste and help our environment by reducing the amount of plastic bags on our roads and waterways that can harm us and our wildlife,” said Garvin.
Retailers may choose to offer paper bags, or fabric bags, or a thicker type of plastic bag that can be reused. Or stores may decide (as they have always done before) not to provide bags to customers.
The law allows retail stores to charge a fee for the bags they provide at the point of sale.
DNREC advises consumers to wash or disinfect their reusable bags by turning them inside out and wiping them with a disinfectant after each use.
Officials explain that, according to the law, plastic travel bags will no longer be available in 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 stores are affected, as well as convenience store chains. Restaurants are not subject to the ban, nor are small shops with one or two locations.
DNREC has created a list of questions and answers to help guide retailers.
Ban on plastic bags in Philadelphia
For people in Philadelphia, you have a little more time before the baggage ban takes effect.
The city ban was postponed for six months.
So, instead of starting on New Year’s Day, it will officially go into effect on July 1st.
Companies will be required to hang signs to inform customers of the ban by July 31, 2021. The plastic bag ban will begin on October 1, 2021.
However, the city plans to issue warnings to businesses, not fines, by April 2, 2022, when it will fully enforce the ban.
“Implementation has been delayed due to the impacts of COVID-19 on the business community – particularly on small businesses,” said city officials.
Officials said the companies are encouraged to stop supplying plastic bags as soon as possible.
The Philadelphia ban will affect all retail outlets of all sizes in the city that make bags for take-out (such as food, clothing, household goods, etc.) and / or for delivery available. These companies include establishments, internal or external, where food or other products are offered to the public for sale – including supermarkets, convenience stores, shops, service stations, department stores, clothing stores, restaurants, food trucks, farmer’s markets and delivery Services.
Philadelphia uses about a billion plastic bags each year, according to the city.
There is no statewide ban in Pennsylvania.
New Jersey baggage ban begins in 2022
In November, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a ban on single-use plastic bags and paper from May 2022.
Murphy said the ban is a significant step in reducing the damage and pollution these products cause to the environment.
“Plastic bags are one of the most problematic forms of waste, leading to millions of discarded bags that flow annually to our landfills, rivers and oceans,” said Murphy on the day he signed the project. “With the signing of today’s historic bill, we are addressing the problem of plastic pollution head on with solutions that will help mitigate climate change and strengthen our environment for future generations.”
The New Jersey ban also includes disposable food containers and cups made of polystyrene foam.
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