Heading to the store soon? Besides your shopping list, make sure to bring plenty of reusable bags. Delaware has completely banned plastic carryout bags since July 1, 2022, though stores may still provide paper bags or sell their own reusable (cloth or durable fabric) bags.

#BYOBagDE (Bring Your Own Bag Delaware)

Are you like many of us who leave our reusable bags in the car or at home? Here are some helpful suggestions:

• Place your items back in your cart after checkout and bag them at your car or keep a box or laundry basket in the trunk to hold items.
• If purchasing just a few items, why not skip the bag altogether?
• First item on your shopping list: “Remember BAGS!”
• When leaving home, sing the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes” substituting the words: “BAGS, Wallet, Keys & Phone.”
• Keep your empty bags together and hang them on your front door. This step makes them easy to grab when you go shopping.
• Have a carabiner? Clip your bags together and then clip them to your shopping cart at the store.
• Remember to clean your bags often by washing or wiping them down with a disinfectant cloth. This will eliminate almost all potential germs that might linger.

Ban Background

The original plastic carryout bag ban passed in 2019 went into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. Soon after, the legislature enhanced the law by completely removing plastic film carryout bags regardless of thickness as well as expanding the ban to all retail stores within Delaware effective July 1, 2022. Restaurants can still use plastic carryout bags of any description and are not required to have an At-Store Recycling Program.

Retailers may provide paper bags and charge a fee for them. This fee is optional; revenue is not collected by the state.

Using a reusable bag is one way to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills. Recycling properly allows Delawareans to make sure material is available to manufacturers to produce new goods without having to use up our vital natural resources.

According to the nonprofit Environment America, the ban reduced the number of plastic bags used in Delaware annually by roughly 300 million! That means hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of plastic bags are no longer ending up in landfills or, worse, in our waterways and fields or along our roads.

Plastic carryout bags are also a problem for Delaware’s recycling facility because the bags wrap around the equipment, requiring the entire facility to be shut down while they are removed. This problem is why plastic bags and plastic film should never be placed in your curbside recycling cart.

Unlike their plastic counterparts, paper bags can be recycled by placing them directly in your home curbside recycling bin.

Exempt Bags

Not all plastic bags are banned under the law. Plastic film bags typically found in stores for produce and other similar items are still allowed to be given out. However, any retailer that provides the exempt bags below is required to set up an At-Store Recycling Program which must be easily accessible to customers. These stores must contain drop-off locations for bags and similar materials. If you’re unable to locate the recycling bin in a store that still uses bags, simply ask an employee where it is.

Allowable exemptions to the plastic bag ban include:

• Bags that contain or are used to wrap frozen foods, meat or fish, flowers or potted plants or other items containing dampness.
• Bags used to contain live animals such as fish or insects sold in pet stores.
• Bags used to transport chemical pesticides, drain-cleaning chemicals or other caustic chemicals.
• Non-handled bags used to protect a purchased item from damaging or contaminating other purchased items when placed in a recycled paper bag or a reusable grocery bag.
• Bags provided to contain an unwrapped food item.
• Non-handled bags that are designed to be placed over articles of clothing on a hanger.
• Bags used by customers inside a business to package loose items, such as nuts, ground coffee, grains, fruits, vegetables or candies.

For Bag Geeks Only

Already using reusable bags when shopping? Give reusable produce bags a try as well!

Maybe you have too many reusable bags. Make someone’s day and give an extra to a neighbor or the person behind you in line at the store. Or, instead of wrapping a present, give it in a reusable bag, making it two gifts in one.

The Bottom Line

Remember to #BYOBagDE (Bring Your Own Bag Delaware)! For more information, go to de.gov/bags.

If you spot a business providing plastic bags at checkout, please contact the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control at recycle@delaware.gov or 302-739-9403.

Related Topics:  bag, bag ban, conservation, education, plastic, science