PROVIDENCE, RI — Providence's single-use plastic bag ban goes into effect on Tuesday. Starting then, stores will be forced to offer reusable alternatives or paper bags that contain at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper.
Under the new ordinance, retailers will be banned from offering any single-use plastic bags at checkout. Bio-based plastic bags are not an acceptable substitute. Exempt from the ordinance: bags used to hold or transport produce, laundry bags, dry-cleaning bags, newspaper bags or those used to wrap frozen food, meat or fish.
Any store who violates the ordinance will be issued a warning. If there are other violations within a year of the first notice, the store will be fined $50 for the second offense and $100 for all following violations. The money collected through fines will be used for community outreach about recycling and waste education the city said in a release.