Framingham Approves Fee For Shopping Bags

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham shoppers might want to invest in some reusable shopping bags. That's because the City Council has approved a new 10-cent fee on single-use bags in most cases.

The fee is an update to the city's plastic bag bylaw, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. An ad hoc committee that was monitoring the plastic bag ban recommended the city add a 10-cent fee — which many other cities already have — to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags.

The fee was approved at Tuesday's City Council meeting with two amendments. Councilor Adam Steiner added a clause waiving the fee for people who receive food assistance.

Chairman Dennis Giombetti was concerned about education around the new fee, and had wanted to delay implementation until Jan. 1, 2021. But after hashing out a public education campaign with Mayor Yvonne Spicer, Giombetti amended the law so that the fee would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

Framingham's plastic bag bylaw applies only to plastic bags given at the checkout counter at grocery stores and other retailers. The law does not ban produce bags, for example, and does not apply to restaurants. Many retailers in Framingham have been offering paper bags at no charge to shoppers since the law went into effect.

State lawmakers are in the process of approving a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags, although many towns and cities have already banned them. The state law would include a 10-cent fee for paper bags. The measure passed the Senate before Thanksgiving and is now in the House.