Massachusetts Passes $3.6 Billion Environmental Bill with Plastic Bag Ban

The legislation includes a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags and a 10-cent fee for paper bags at retail stores.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 4:11pm

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The Massachusetts Senate has passed a $3.64 billion environmental bond bill that includes a provision to ban single-use plastic bags and implement a 10-cent fee for paper bags at retail stores across the state. The bill also allocates funding for climate resiliency, clean water protection, and other environmental initiatives.

Why it matters

The plastic bag ban and paper bag fee are aimed at reducing waste and litter in Massachusetts, where residents reportedly use more than 2 billion plastic bags annually. The legislation responds to growing concerns about the environmental impact of single-use plastics and aligns with actions already taken by Boston and over 160 other Massachusetts communities to ban plastic bags.

The details

The bill prohibits single-use plastic bags at retail stores and requires customers to be charged at least 10 cents per paper bag provided. Half of the paper bag fee would go to a state Plastics Environmental Protection Fund, while the other 5 cents would be kept by the retailer. Customers would still be able to use their own reusable plastic bags.

  • The Senate has passed legislation to ban single-use plastic bags before, but the bills have not become law.
  • The current $3.64 billion environmental bond bill will go before the full Senate for debate on April 15, 2026.

The players

Karen Spilka

The President of the Massachusetts Senate.

Michael Rodrigues

The Chair of the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Sierra Club

An environmental organization that reports Boston and more than 160 Massachusetts communities already ban single-use plastic shopping bags.

Stop & Shop

A grocery store chain that banned single-use plastic bags at all its northeast stores in 2023 and began charging a 10-cent fee for paper bags, but later stopped charging for paper bags after customer feedback.

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What they’re saying

“The legislation responds to an increasingly littered natural world by removing single-use plastic bags from retail checkout counters. Instead, shoppers would be able to walk away with a reusable plastic bag or a recyclable paper bag.”

— Karen Spilka, Massachusetts Senate President

“The bill 'prohibits single-use carry-out plastic bags at retail stores.' Customers can bring their own reusable plastic bags.”

— Michael Rodrigues, Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair

What’s next

The $3.64 billion environmental bond bill will go before the full Massachusetts Senate for debate on April 15, 2026.

The takeaway

This legislation represents a significant step forward in Massachusetts' efforts to reduce plastic waste and promote more sustainable shopping habits. By banning single-use plastic bags and implementing a fee for paper bags, the state is encouraging residents to adopt reusable alternatives and mitigate the environmental impact of disposable bag usage.