Rhode Island Bag Ban, Fee & EPR Rules
Verified: July 29, 2026
Bag Ban Status
Statewide bag ban: active statewide ban. Covered-retailer scope is broad under state law (Plastic Waste Reduction Act, R.I. Gen. Laws §23-92-2): 'retail sales establishment' explicitly includes any restaurant, retail store, grocery store, supermarket, convenience store, dry cleaner, pharmacy, liquor store, **jewelry store, clothing store**, and any other place of business that sells goods directly to the consumer. Apparel and general retail (e.g. Claire's, Gap) are explicitly named in the statute. No size or chain-count exemption.
Plastic Bag Restrictions
Plastic carryout bags: single-use plastic checkout bags banned statewide; reusable bags of plastic film must be at least 4.0 mils thick with stitched handles and 125-use durability (R.I. Gen. Laws §23-19.18-2(5)).
Paper Bag Requirements
No statewide paper bag requirement.
Recycled Content (PCR)
No statewide recycled-content mandate for carryout bags.
Fees & Taxation
None statewide.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
EPR for Packaging — study/needs-assessment phase, no enacted program. Statute: EPR needs assessment study bill signed June 2025. The 2026 full-EPR bill (S2656) did not pass; the session instead advanced the study approach.
Local Ordinances
None significant.
Key Dates
Statewide plastic bag ban effective: 2024-01-01 (Plastic Waste Reduction Act).