The Newton City Council’s Programs & Services Finance committee will discuss a proposed expansion on the city’s  plastic bag ban and adding a ten-cent fee on all check out bags, including paper bags. The rules would eliminate the current exemptions that exist for small merchants.
 
Summary of proposed Plastic Bag Reduction (AKA “Bring Your Own Bag) ordinance
  1. If any store provides a checkout bag to customers, the bag must be either a recyclable paper bag or a reusable checkout bag.
  2. A store that provides any type of checkout bag shall sell them for no less than ten cents ($0.10). All money collected will be retained by the store.
  3. Any charge for a Checkout Bag shall be separately stated on a receipt provided to the customer at the time of sale and called the “Checkout Bag Charge”.
A checkout bag does not include: a paper bag given to customers at the pharmacy for medication any bag without handles that’s used to protect items from damaging or contaminating others, such as protecting wine bottles or vegetables a bag used to contain unwrapped food.
 
The paper bag fee and extended plastic bag ban will be discussed on Weds. June 26.