PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — “Paper or plastic?” is officially a thing of the past. If you’ve noticed fewer and fewer options for single-use shopping bags lately, you’re not alone.
As of Oct. 1, the city of Philadelphia started prohibiting retail outlets from providing customers with any single-use plastic bags and paper bags that are made from less than 40% recycled material. While the ban has been in effect for two weeks, many retailers are not planning on changing their practices until fines go into effect in April 2022.
But in the six-month limbo between soft warnings and full-blown enforcement, via fines, customers often won’t know if they’re going to encounter a retailer that is or is not providing the now-banned bags.
April 1, 2022 will be here in a blink, so our advice is to get your reusable bag strategy down sooner than later.
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Collect a variety of bags that fit your needs.
Not all reusable bags are created equal. Some are narrow tote bags perfect for books and smaller items, and some have wide bottoms that allow you to play Tetris with your groceries to fit as much as humanly possible in one bag. Some can fold up tight and are perfect to stuff in your pocket before heading out the door, while others are extra-durable for heavier hauls.
Get cheap (or free!) bags from your favorite stores.
In an effort to ease the burden and transition to reusable bags, plenty of stores are selling branded, reusable bags for a nominal fee (perfect for when you forget to bring them) and some have even incentivized the ban by giving them away with purchases or for a limited time.
You’ll never know where you might see a free bag in the wild, so keep your eyes peeled. You might find them being given away by vendor booths at street fairs and farmers markets, or even find a “take a tote, leave a tote” bin at a local store or thrift shop.
Put a “bag box” in a prime location.
After you’ve started your collection, you need a place to keep it, right? Pick a spot in your home, like near the front door or in the kitchen, where the bags will always be in your line of sight. Because what good are bags that you forget to bring with you?
And if that’s not enough, leave a stash in your car or invest in one or two pocket-sized foldable bags to keep on you so you’ll never go without.
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What if I end up bagless at check out?
We’re not going to lie to you: This will happen. But when it does, you can do one of two things. Option A: Lean into the fact that you forgot to bring a bag from your carefully curated collection, load up your arms with your bounty and walk out of the store with pride. Option B: Just buy another one at check out and toss it into your growing collection.
In all seriousness, getting on board with the single-use bag ban will save you time and money in the long run, plus it’s better for our city. Don’t be that person. BYOB.