Plastic Bag Ban in Peabody

On September 1, 2020, the City of Peabody implemented an ordinance to reduce the use of single-use plastic
bags in Peabody.  The ordinance, Chapter 13, Article VII, “Regulation Regarding the Use of Disposable Plastic Bags at Retail Establishments,”can be viewed at www.peabody-ma.gov/health/plasticbagban.pdf.

The ordinance prohibits retailers from providing single-use plastic checkout bags to any customer for the purpose of enabling them to carry goods from the point of sale. If a retailer does provide checkout bags to customers, such bags must be either a recyclable paper bag, or a reusable bag. 

The types of bags that a retailer may offer include:

RECYCLABLE PAPER BAG

A paper bag that is one-hundred-percent recyclable and contains at least 40% post-consumer recycled content and displays the words "Recyclable" and "made from 40% post-consumer recyclable content" in a visible manner on the outside of the bag.

REUSABLE BAG

A sewn bag with stitched handles that (1) can carry 25 pounds over a distance of 300 feet; (2) is either (a) made of cloth or other machine washable fabric; or (b) made of plastic other than polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE, PETE, etc.) or polyvinyl chloride that is durable, non-toxic, and is 5.0 mils in thickness or greater.

As a reminder, this ordinance may be enforced by agents of the Peabody Board of Health and Peabody Police Department. The penalty structure for non-compliance includes written warnings and fines ranging from $100-$300 for subsequent offenses. More details can be found in section 13-103 of the ordinance.

Again, thank you for partnering with the City of Peabody in its efforts to reduce environmental impacts from disposable plastic bags. Please feel free to contact us at (978) 538-5926 if you have questions about these requirements.

Sincerely,

Sharon Cameron

Director of Health

City of Peabody