Connecticut has a new 10 cent tax on single-use plastic bags that goes into effect August 1. And, stores are still allowed to charge customers a fee for single-use paper bags.
Plastic bags for meat and produce are exempt from the law.
“Creating plastic bags generates a ton of carbon emissions. It’s really damaging to our environment. It’s contributing to our climate crisis,” said Amanda Schoen, deputy director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters.
“We were really strongly in favor of an outright ban, and the governor came out in his budget address with the fee proposal. And in initial meetings we made it very clear that if you want to ban something and if you believe that it’s a threat to the environment as we do and as people in Connecticut do, then you don’t put this giant pot of money attached to it with absolutely no end in sight.”
The League then worked with senators and representatives on a compromise that would transition the tax into an outright ban.
Retailers will be prohibited from providing single-use checkout bags to customers after June 30, 2021.
The legislation is estimated to reduce the amount of single-use plastic bags in the state by 80 percent.