Wayne County municipalities cannot ban or tax single-use plastic bags. Michigan's 2016 preemption statute prohibits any local fee, ordinance, or restriction on auxiliary containers including bags and cups.
Michigan Public Act 389 of 2016, codified at MCL 445.594c, expressly preempts local governments from regulating the use, disposition, or sale of any auxiliary container, defined to include plastic bags, paper bags, cups, bottles, and food containers. The law was passed in part to override a Washtenaw County ordinance and applies uniformly across Wayne County, Detroit, and the suburbs. Cities cannot impose bans, taxes, or mandatory fees on single-use bags, even for environmental reasons. Voluntary retailer programs and reusable-bag promotions remain legal. Repeal efforts have been introduced in Lansing periodically but have not advanced. Statewide bottle redemption (10 cents) remains in force.
Local bag bans or fees adopted in defiance of the statute would be unenforceable and could be challenged in court by the Michigan Attorney General or affected retailers.
See how Dearborn's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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