Portland to Charge for Not Using Reusable Shopping Bags

A bill that was passed in June that will charge shoppers 5 cents per page for not using reusable bags will go into effect on April 15th. In a very cool move, Hannaford Supermarkets will offer FREE reusable bags to it's shoppers for the first couple weeks to help offset the cost and inconvenience to their shoppers. 

Portland will become the first city in Maine, and one of just a handful in New England, to both impose a fee on disposable plastic or paper shopping bags and to ban many businesses from using polystyrene food and beverage containers.The 5-cent fee will apply to disposable plastic or paper bags given out at stores where food – including milk, bread, soda and snacks – constitutes at least 2 percent of gross sales. In a compromise aimed at softening opposition within the business community, retailers will be able to keep those nickels.

Portland is the first community with Hannaford stores to adopt either a bag fee or a foam ban.During the two-week campaign, Hannaford also will donate 25 cents for each reusable bag, plus all proceeds from the 5-cent bag fee to local hunger relief programs.

Get more on the story from CentralMaine.com by clicking.

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