As of October 1, 2012, grocery stores, convenience stores, drug stores and stores larger than 10,000 square feet in SLO County stopped providing single-use plastic carryout bags to customers at the point of sale. A store may provide to a customer at their request a recyclable paper bag, but will charge the customer a minimum of 10 cents per bag. To avoid this charge and help the environment, bring in a reusable bag! Stores will also have reusable bags for sale.

Reusable bag tips

• Keep reusable bags in your car at all times for unplanned purchases
• Forgot your bags in the car? No problem! Just use the shopping cart to carry items out, then place them into the bags waiting in your car
• Avoid putting large bulky items like milk, toilet paper, detergents, or diapers into bags to maximize space and reduce waste

Benefits of reusable bags

• Can be used over and over for years — over that lifetime, a reusable bag eliminates the need for upwards of 1,000 single-use bags
• Use less energy in production and produce less carbon dioxide than single-use bags
• Reduce solid waste disposal costs by lowering the municipal waste and landfill burden
• Do not threaten our oceans, streams, lakes, marine life or clog sewers and drains
• Do not litter our beaches, roadsides and open spaces