Local Supermarkets To Charge 5 Cents for Paper Bags
With the ban on plastic bags just a little over a month away, some local supermarkets are now adding an extra charge if you want to use paper.
We all knew the ban on plastic bags was coming but was of March 1st, we will no longer be using plastic bags. That means to go grocery shopping or anywhere, we have to bring paper, cardboard, or reusable bags.
According to the Times Union, the new law going into place on March 1, allows "counties to opt-in on a 5-cent fee charged on paper bags as well." Local supermarkets Price Chopper/Market 32 will be opting in to that charge. Their reasoning isn't just to make more money but as testing. Mona Golub, the spokeswoman for the Golub Corp, said that "the ban will test the spending habits of customers, most of whom do not yet bring reusable bags when they shop for groceries."
This is another way, in other words, to see who is buying the reusable bags and hopefully, to get more people to go that route. They've been offering their reusable bags at a discounted rate in hopes that people will stock up on those before the bag ban.