The city of Salisbury has amended the Comprehensive Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance – also known as the Shop Green SBY Initiative – to exclude some purchases from the mandatory 10-cents fee charged for each alternative bag, such as a paper bag, distributed at check out.

City officials said the move comes after feedback from local businesses -- some of which already provided paper bags to customers at no cost -- which were affected by the all-inclusive nature of the ordinance language.

The Mayor’s Office and City Council have worked together to alleviate the requirement that some businesses charge for paper bags.

The following language has been added to the ordnance via amendment:

“Exclusions. A retail establishment shall not collect a charge required under 5.69.020(B), for any paper bag (i) a food service facility gives a customer or third party delivery service to take food sliced or prepared to order from the food service facility; (ii) a pharmacy gives to a patient or customer that contains a prescription drug; or (iii) which constitutes an essential part of the packaging of the product, the product itself, or which was packaged in such manner at the time of manufacture.”

For more information on Shop Green SBY, please visit salisbury.md/shopgreens.