Framingham, MA Single-Use Items: Plastic Bag Rules (2026)

Framingham City Code § 419-20A flatly bars distributing, using or selling thin-film single-use plastic bags for checkout or other purposes at any retail or grocery store in the City. Section 419-19 defines the banned bag as one with a thickness of 2.5 mils or less intended for single-use transport of purchased goods, typically with plastic handles, and defines "grocery store" as a retail establishment where over 50% of gross floor area sells food products for home preparation and consumption. The ban does not reach every plastic bag: § 419-20C exempts thin-film bags without handles used for dry cleaning, newspapers, produce, meat, bulk foods and wet items, which remain permissible.

The article, adopted January 5, 2021 and effective against retailers on and after July 5, 2021, was written to cut plastic pollution, marine-animal entanglement and ingestion risk, storm-drain clogging and crude-oil consumption tied to bag manufacture, per § 419-18's purpose and intent findings. Section 419-20B encourages, but does not require, customers to bring reusable bags and encourages stores to sell reusable checkout bags at a reasonable price. Enforcement is centralized with the Mayor's office rather than a separate inspection department.