Minneapolis to start enforcing 5-cent bag fee again

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Shoppers in Minneapolis will once again have to pay a small fee for carryout bags at the store.

Starting Oct. 1, a city ordinance requiring stores to charge a 5-cent fee for each carryout bag they provide customers will go back into effect. The city had temporarily paused enforcement of the ordinance when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Carryout bags include any plastic, compostable, paper and reusable bags provided by the store.

Need a shopping bag? In Minneapolis, that will cost 5 cents extra

Minneapolis will soon make customers pay a nickel every time they take a carryout bag, a move aimed at protecting the environment by forcing people to bring their own bags.

The ordinance, passed in 2019, is aimed at encouraging shoppers to bring their own bags to the store, which helps reduce litter and trash as well as prevent plastic bags from clogging the gears in recycling facilities.

There are a number of exemptions from the ordinance, including vendors at farmers markets, restaurants and produce bags or other bags used for bulk items at the grocery store.