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BOSTON - Tuesday, July 14, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the City of Boston's executive order to
exempt all establishments from the plastic bag ban ordinance will stay
in place until September 30.
This transition period will allow stores to
use up any single-use plastic bags that they have purchased during the
emergency. The five-cent per bag fee will also not be in effect.
"In
March, we suspended the City's ban on plastic bags and the 5-cent fee
for paper bags in order to give both stores and customers more
flexibility during this difficult time," said Mayor Walsh. "While we're
extending that suspension to best serve businesses and residents, I want
to be clear that the Boston Public Health Commission and the state
Department of Public Health have said that reusable bags are safe and
people should feel free to use them."
On
October 1, all provisions of the plastic bag ban ordinance will come
back into effect. This includes the elimination of most single-use
plastic bags and the requirement for the five-cent fee.
The ordinance
still allows the ISD Commissioner to grant exemptions on a case-by-case
basis. Residents in Boston are now able to use reusable bags if they
would like to.
More information about the City's plastic bag ban is available on boston.gov. The City's previous guidance on allowing plastic bags during the COVID-19 health emergency is available on boston.gov.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Mayor Walsh announces ordinance allowing plastic bags extended to Sept. 30
