Single-Use Items in Massachusetts (2026)
17 rules on the books across Massachusetts, 10 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Plastic Bag Rules
Whether plastic carryout bags are banned, taxed, or exempt from local regulation under state preemption.
New Bedford
Heavy RestrictionsNew Bedford prohibits distributing single-use plastic bags under 4 mils thick at retail establishments with 10,000+…
Read full rule →Quincy
Heavy RestrictionsQuincy retailers cannot hand out disposable plastic shopping bags at checkout; a first violation draws a written…
Read full rule →Revere
Heavy RestrictionsRevere bars every retail establishment, from restaurants to pharmacies to grocery and liquor stores, from handing…
Read full rule →Somerville
Heavy RestrictionsSomerville bans retail establishments from handing out disposable plastic shopping bags at checkout entirely, not a…
Read full rule →Worcester
Heavy RestrictionsWorcester retailers cannot hand customers thin plastic checkout bags: only reusable bags, recyclable paper bags, or…
Read full rule →Cambridge
Significant RestrictionsCambridge retailers cannot hand out thin single-use plastic checkout bags. Under the Bring Your Own Bag Ordinance, any…
Read full rule →Chelsea
Significant RestrictionsChelsea bans plastic checkout bags at retail establishments citywide. Under Code of Ordinances section 10-4, adopted…
Read full rule →Springfield
Significant RestrictionsSpringfield, Massachusetts retailers, including food and ice cream trucks, may only hand out recyclable paper…
Read full rule →Boston
Some RestrictionsBoston bans thin single-use plastic checkout bags at retail establishments. Any bag a store hands out at checkout must…
Read full rule →Newton
Light RestrictionsNewton's food truck rules flatly bar plastic bags from every licensed truck operating in the city, while pushing…
Read full rule →Polystyrene Foam Rules
State rules on expanded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) cups, takeout containers, and packaging, including statewide bans and preemption of local bans.
Revere
Heavy RestrictionsRevere bans food establishments from serving prepared food in polystyrene, PVC or PET containers, and bans retail…
Read full rule →Somerville
Heavy RestrictionsSomerville bans food establishments from dispensing prepared food in expanded polystyrene (foam) containers, and bars…
Read full rule →Cambridge
Significant RestrictionsCambridge Code Chapter 8.70 bars food establishments, including school cafeterias, from dispensing prepared food in…
Read full rule →Plastic Straw Rules
State rules on plastic straws, including on-request-only mandates, full bans, and states that preempt local straw ordinances.
Somerville
Some RestrictionsSomerville food establishments cannot hand out plastic beverage straws with a meal unless a customer asks for one…
Read full rule →Revere
Few RestrictionsRevere's 2022 food-ware ordinance bans polystyrene, PVC and PET food service ware, but it expressly carves straws out…
Read full rule →Utensils-On-Request
Rules barring food vendors from automatically including plastic utensils, condiment packets, or napkins unless customers request them.
Takeout Containers
Rules requiring compostable, recyclable, or reusable takeout containers, including LA's polystyrene ban and Customers-Bring-Their-Own programs.