Authors of the new plastic waste report, echoing the first-year report, said after the plastic reduction law roughly 16.5 billion single-use plastic bags and 110 million single-use paper bags were kept out of the waste stream solely in the supermarket sector.

It took almost 20 years, but Annapolis’ Plastic Bag Reduction Act is now in effect. The page about the ordinance on the city’s website says it is meant to accomplish two things: protect the environment and encourage sustainability. Businesses are not allowed to provide plastic bags except for:

Annapolis has enacted a plastic bag ban, encouraging shoppers to bring their own reusable bags or to purchase paper bags at stores for a dime apiece.

Plastic bags have become an integral part of daily kitchen activities, and for many people it’s hard to imagine life without them now.Where plastic bags have become a necessity in the kitchen, the question also arises in the mind: Is it