CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some North Carolina cities that were working to ban plastic bags or charge fees, can no longer do so. That's because state lawmakers allowed a provision in thestate budget to remain that, when passed, prohibits municipalities from restricting or regulating the use of 'auxiliary containers', which includes bags, cups, and packaging.
Right now, when shopping at North Carolina grocery stores, you get to pick whether you want plastic or paper while checking out at the register.
“The General Assembly has never been very, I’ll call it, friendly towards doing anything differently with plastic bags," Jeff Smithberger, the director of Solid Waste and Recycling for Mecklenburg County, said.
This isn't the first time lawmakers have become involved in the plastic bag debate. Several years ago, the General Assembly repealed a plastic bag ban in the Outer Banks, according to an article from the Outer Banks Voice. Recently, Asheville and Durham were considering bans or fees.
“I understand that if every county, all 100 counties in North Carolina were to have a different rule, it would make things very difficult for businesses," Smithberger said.
Still, Smithberger says plastic bags don't just hurt the environment -- they cost waste management agencies big bucks too.
“They do get tangled up in our equipment, they make it difficult to recycle," he said.
Right now, the responsibility of being eco-friendly lies with the consumer.
“Every consumer has the ability to make their voice known and so if they don’t like plastic bags and they don't like the fact that it's costing them more on the recycling side, let the place their shopping know, they don't want that anymore," Smithberger said.
Mecklenburg County officials want to remind people that they shouldn't be recycling plastic bags; you can take them back to stores like Harris Teeter or Walmart.
Also, don't put recycled items in a plastic bag, as waste management workers can't recycle the bagged items that way.
To learn more about what is recyclable, you can visit this website.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.