Lower Merion Township’s plastic bag ban went into effect last Sunday, and now shoppers must remember to pack their own bags, writes Max Bennett for Patch.

Under the new ordinance, retail establishments are no longer allowed to provide their patrons with single-use plastic bags.

If you forget to bring your own shopping bags, stores are required to charge you ten cents for a bag made of an alternative material.

The fee is to help stores cover the cost of having to provide non-plastic shopping bags.

Retail establishments that violate the ordinance will first receive a warning and then will face fines up to $500 for continued violations.

“Thanks to all who helped get us here, joining communities across the state and country in making sustainability a priority,” the Lower Merion Conservancy said in a statement.

Read more about the Lower Merion plastic bag ban at Patch.

______________