On October 21, Stoneham residents voted to restrict retail use of plastic checkout bags. Article 8: Regulation of Retail Checkout Bags will go into effect in May 2020 and will phase out the use of plastic bags in retail settings in Stoneham. The Chamber advocated for several amendments that were included in the adopted regulation that included the following: a reduction in the mils thickness required to qualify as reusable bag from 3 to 2.25 mils; changing the definition of a small business from 2,500 square feet retail space to 50 or less employees; removing the regulation that required business owners to educate customers on reusable bag sanitation; extending the effective date from 120 days from passage to six months; and removing constraints from extensions provided by the Town Administrator to address hardship issues like using existing stock.
To read the full set of regulations please use the link below.
Retail Checkout Bag Regulations