HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The grocery store chain Stop & Shop says it is eliminating single-use plastic bags at checkout at its Connecticut stores.
The announcement Monday comes as the state prepares to implement a new tax that will charge customers 10 cents to carry out purchases in plastic bags. The tax that takes effect Thursday will be in place until June 2021, when retailers will be prohibited from providing plastic bags.
A Stop & Shop executive said the company is doing away with plastic bags ahead of the state’s timeline in recognition of concern about the bags’ environmental impact.
Stop & Shop has 91 stores in Connecticut. The Quincy, Massachusetts-based retailer said it will offer paper bags for free during August, with a 10-cent fee on paper bags beginning in September.
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