SECTION 1. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection shall promulgate regulations to prohibit the use of plastic carryout bags by the year 2017. For purposes of this act, “plastic carryout bag” means a plastic carryout bag provided by a store to a customer at the point of sale for the purpose of carrying purchased items from the store. “Plastic carryout bag” shall not include plastic bags in which loose produce is placed by the customer to deliver such items to the point of sale area of a store. This act shall not prohibit compostable plastic carryout bags, which conform to the current ASTM-Standard Specifications for compostability and is certified and labeled as meeting the ASTM-Standard by a recognized verification entity such as the Biodegradable Product Institute.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection shall promulgate regulations to enforce this act
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