BIDDEFORD — A ban on single-use plastic bags in the city of Biddeford will go into effect on Monday.

On April 16, the Biddeford City Council approved a ban on single-use plastic bags that applies to all grocery and convenience stores, markets, pharmacies, restaurants, take-out food establishments and other retailers in the city. Grocery stores will still be allowed to provide plastic bags without handles that are used for produce or meat.

“Plastic bags are convenient, but with the costly issues that they create within our recycling program, and the increasing evidence of environmental damage from plastics in all areas of our environment, it is appropriate and important that we adjust our lives and our habits to not only save tax dollars, but do what is right,” said Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant in a written statement shortly after the April vote.

The city gave a three-month lag time to allow merchants the opportunity to use up their existing supply of disposable plastic bags.

After Sept. 30, retailers who violate the ordinance will be subject to a $250 fine for the first violation and a $500 fine for each subsequent violation in a one-year period.

Merchants are allowed to provide paper bags, either for free or for a fee.

Biddeford joins a number of municipalities across the state, like Kennebunk and Saco, that are imposing a ban on single-use bags. On April 22, 2020, which is Earth Day, a state-wide ban on single-use plastic bags will become law.

The Biddeford City Council approved the city-wide ban because of the environmental impact of single-use bags and because disposable bags, which are not recyclable, are the biggest source of contamination in the city’s recycling stream, according to a press release from the city.

Retailers such as Market Basket grocery store have been preparing for the upcoming ban with signs reminding shoppers of the July 15 start date. The store has also been promoting the sale of reusable grocery bags, and has several varieties available.

“We have ordered an abundance of alternative bags. We have displays everywhere,” said Store Manager Micum McIntire.

McIntire said many shoppers already bring their own reusable bags to pack their groceries in. Market Basket has also been encouraging shoppers to use empty boxes the store has on hand after products are put on the shelves, said McIntire, and the reuse of boxes to pack groceries has become increasingly popular. The store will also provide paper bags to customers at no charge.

California and Hawaii have state-wide bans of single-use plastic bags. Like Maine, Vermont and New York recently passed state-wide bans that will go into effect next year.

According to a study conducted by tote bag company Reusethisbag.com, about 200 municipalities across the country have banned or taxed disposable plastic bags, and overall, the outcome has been positive.

San Jose, California, has seen an 89 percent reduction of plastic bags in storm drains, a 60 percent reduction of plastic bags in rivers and a 59 percent reduction of plastic bags in residential areas, according to the study.

The average disposable plastic bag is used for 12 minutes, according to a press release from Reusethisbag.com. About 100,000 marine animals are killed annually by disposable plastic bags and the toxic chemicals from plastic bags live in oceans for 1,000 years, according to the press release.

However there are some problems associated with reusable bags that consumers should be aware of. Bag the Ban, a project of the American Progressive Bag Alliance, which represents the U.S. plastic bag manufacturing and recycling industry, argues that harmful bacteria can thrive in reusable shopping bags unless they are properly cleaned after each use. The group said that according to studies conducted in California and Arizona, 97 percent of individuals indicated they never washed their reusable bags.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.