City-wide ban on all PE bags; 12-cent tax on paper

City-wide ban on plastic bags.

REPLACED 2021: https://www.northamptonma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/15908?fileID=139558

City-wide ban on plastic bags.

City-wide ban on plastic bags less than 2.5 mils.

City-wide ban on plastic bags less than 2.25 mils.

City-wide 25-cent tax on plastic and paper bags

City-wide ban on all PE bags

Replaced 2016 bill

• Types of materials banned:
  • “Single-use” plastic bags (including
    biodegradable/compostable plastics)
• Exemptions:
  • Bags made from other materials used for/to:
    Package loose, bulk items such as produce, nuts,
    grains, candy, small hardware items, frozen foods,
    meat, poultry, fish, flowers, potted plants,
    bakery/prepared goods, prescription drugs
    Laundry-dry cleaning bags
    Transport live fish
    Protect linens, bedding or other similar large items that
    cannot easily fit in a reusable bag
    Protect newspapers or other printed materials to be left
    at customer’s residence or business
    Protect tires that cannot easily fit in reusable bags
    Used to provide charitable food services
    Sale of multiple (minimum of 10), prepackaged single-use
    bags (for use at customer’s home or business)
    Have already been used by a customer and returned to be
    re-used by other customers (example: take-a-bag, leave-a-bag program)
• Effective as of: 1 Jan 2022
• Item fee:
  • Required – Reusable bags: made for a minimum of 100 uses, made primarily of fabric (must charge no less than $1 rising to $2 on January 1, 2023). Paper bags: contain at least 40% recycled paper content, and display the words “recyclable” and the amount of recycled content on the outside of the bag (must charge no less than 15 cents rising to 25 cents on January 1, 2023). Paper bags under 15 by 20 centimeters when flat are not chargeable.

City-wide 5-cent tax on plastic bags

City-wide ban on all PE bags and 10 tax on plastic bags

City-wide 5-cent tax on plastic bags less than 4 mils

City-wide 5-cent tax on plastic bags less than 4 mils

City-wide 5-cent tax on plastic bags less than 4 mils

City-wide 5-cent tax on plastic bags less than 4 mils

Town-wide ban on plastic bags less than 2.25 mils

City-wide ban on all PE bags; 10-cent tax on paper

City-wide ban on plastic bags less than 4 mils; 5-cent tax on paper bags.

UPDATE: July 2021: Ban delayed until October 1, 2021.

City-wide 25-cent tax on plastic and paper bags.

City-wide ban on all PE bags; 25-cent tax on paper – Amended to include bag ban.

City-wide ban on plastic bags less than 3 mils.

Town-wide ban on plastic bags; 10-cent tax on paper

Town-wide ban on all PE bags

Town-wide ban on plastic bags, along with a 10-cent tax on paper bags

City-wide ban on all PE bags

• Types of materials banned:
  • Any bag made with plastic, including biodegradable or
    compostable plastic, but does not include a Reusable Bag
• Exemptions:
  • Small paper bags (less than 15cm x 20cm when flat) or bags used for/to:
    • package loose bulk items such as fruit, vegetables,
      nuts, grains, or candy;
    • package loose small hardware items such as nails and
      bolts;
    • contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, poultry, or fish,
      whether pre-packaged or not;
    • wrap flowers or potted plants;
    • protect prepared foods or bakery goods that are not
      pre-packaged;
    • contain prescription drugs received from a pharmacy;
    • transport live fish;
    • protect linens, bedding, or other similar large items that cannot easily fit in a Reusable Bag;
      protect newspapers or other printed material intended to be left at the customer’s residence or place of Business; or protect clothes after professional laundering or dry
      cleaning.
  • Sale of multiple, prepackaged “single-use” bags (for use at customer’s home or business)
• Effective as of: 1 Jul 2021
• Item fee: Required:
  • Paper bags: contain at least 40% of post-consumer recycled paper content and displays on the outside of the bag the words “Recyclable” and “made from 40% post-consumer recycled content” or other applicable amount (fee of 15 cents rising to 25 cents as of January 1, 2022).
  • Reusable bags: bag with handles made primarily of cloth or
    other washable fabric and designed and manufactured to be capable of at least 100 uses (fee of $1, rising to $2 as of
    January 1, 2022).

Town-wide ban on all PE bags, updated to include a ban on all polyethylene bags.