Prohibited Single-use Bags

The legislation prohibits establishments in Lawrence from providing single-use, disposable plastic bags as well as certain disposable paper bags to a customer at the point of sale, distribution, or other departure point.

Prohibited bags include:

• Plastic bags that are less than 4.0 mils in thickness, with or without handles.
• Paper bags that do not contain at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled content.
• Paper or plastic bags that do not meet the labeling criteria set in the legislation, even if the bags meet the other requirements .

Alternatives

Reusable Bags

The City strongly encourages consumers to use reusable bags instead of single-use disposable bags. Establishments are welcome to provide reusable bags to consumers for free, for a cost or for a deposit.

Reusable bags are permitted if they are made of nylon, cotton, cloth, polyester, other materials that are specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuses.

Reusable Plastic Bags:

• Must contain at least 40% post-consumer recycled content.
• Must measure at least 4.0 mils in thickness. Plastic reusable bags.
• Must be labeled with the post-consumer recycled content percentage, the mil thickness, and the word “reusable” on the bag.

Paper Bags

Establishments are welcome to provide consumers with single-use disposable paper bags if they meet the criteria below.

Single-use paper bags:

• Must contain at least 40% post-consumer recycled content.
• Must be labeled with the post-consumer recycled content percentage.

Exemptions

The ordinance includes a few exemptions. These include the following establishments:

• Religious and charitable institutions, except when engaged in the commercial sale or distribution of perishable or non-perishable items to consumers.
• Schools, except when engaged in the commercial sale or distribution of perishable or non-perishable items to consumers.
• Not-for-profit organizations, except when engaged in the commercial sale or distribution of perishable or non-perishable items to consumers.
• Farmers’ markets

They also include sales of the following items:

• Live animals, such as fish, insects or the like
• Prescriptions
• Newspapers
• Laundry or dry cleaning (garment bags)
• Produce or product bags.
  Produce or product bags are any type of disposable plastic bag used exclusively to carry produce, meats, fish or seafood, frozen foods, breads, pastries, nuts, candy, flowers, prepared foods, jewelry and bulk items from their location within an establishment to the point of sale. These bags are used to prevent contamination from items and can continue to be used for such a purpose.