Maryland Town's Bag Ban Takes Effect

CHESTERTOWN, Md. — An outright ban on the use of plastic shopping bags by large retailers here takes effect Jan. 19, after being passed by the town’s city council last March.

The town joins others around the country that have recently passed bans on single-use plastic bags, including Rye, N.Y., which passed an ordinance banning the bags last month; Westport, Conn., which banned plastic bags at checkout in 2008; Brownsville, Texas; and Telluride, Colo.

Two of Chestertown’s main food retailers — Acme and Fresh and Green’s — both switched completely to paper bags this week, store workers told SN.