Starting July 1, all Walmart stores in Maine are going bagless.
Walmart customers will need to bring reusable bags and containers for pickup and in-store shopping.
“This decision only further demonstrates the company’s commitment to advancing sustainable initiatives that support people and the environment and to its ongoing efforts to target zero emissions in its global operations by 2040,” a Walmart spokesperson said.
That coincides with Maine’s plastic bag ban going into effect on July 1. The law was supposed to go into effect in April 2020, but its rollout was delayed because of the pandemic.
The law is intended to limit plastic pollution by encouraging shoppers to use reusable bags.
Once the law is in effect, all carry-out bags provided or made available by retailers must be either a reusable bag or a recycled paper bag, according to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
In addition, retail establishments must charge a fee of at least 5 cents per carry-out bag for recycled paper bags and reusable bags made of plastic.
The environmental department said all retail establishments must comply with this law. But hunger relief organizations such as food pantries or soup kitchens that distribute food directly to the consumer at no charge are exempt.