Are South Dakota Walmart Stores Going Bagless On July 1?
There is a rumor going around on the internet that Walmart will go bagless on July 1, 2021. The rumor has become so big that even Snoops posted a fact-checking article dealing with the subject.
This all started with a radio station in Augusta, Maine posting an article with the title "Walmart Is Going Bagless On July 1" on their website and the internet rumor mill took it from there. The title has since been revised to include the word "Maine", but it was too late.
So are South Dakota Walmart stores going bagless? NO! This ban only affects Walmart stores in the state of Maine. However, it's not just Walmart stores in Manie that is banning plastic bags, all retailers in the state will need to stop using plastic bags on July 1 to comply with a state law passed in 2019.
According to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection;
Maine law requires all carry-out bags provided by retailers in Maine to be either reusable or paper bags. Retailers in Maine include stores, restaurants, farmers' markets, and fairs that sell merchandise like food, goods, products or clothing. Hunger relief organizations are the exception to this rule and may use single-use plastic bags to provide food to consumers at no cost.
One big change at a Sioux Falls Walmart is the removal of nearly all of the "assisted checkouts" at the store on South Minnesota Ave and 85th Street. The last time I was there, I counted only four assisted checkouts, the rest were self-checkouts. But all those checkouts stands still had plastic bags.