Statewide Plastic Bag Ban On Agenda For Massachusetts State Senate

BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts Senate is preparing to debate a bill to create a statewide ban on all carry-out plastic bags at checkout from retail stores.

The bill would require retailers to charge at least 10 cents for a recycled paper bag.

Five cents would go to the city or town for enforcement of the ban. The remainder would go to the retailer to cover the cost of the paper bags.

More than 100 Massachusetts communities have already passed plastic bag bans.

Democratic Sen. President Karen Spilka said she took a personal interest in the ban after a family trip to Vancouver and Alaska this summer where she learned sea animals can starve to death because of the amount of plastic in their stomachs.

The Senate will debate the bill Wednesday.