FRAMINGHAM, MA - Members of the Town Meeting passed an article that was presented which will ban stores from giving out thin-film plastic bags in most cases.

The ban will be effective Jan. 1, 2018 and the stores will be restricted from distributing the bags at the point of checkout. The ban strictly applies to bags with a thickness less than or equal to 2.5 mils, a unit of measurement equal to one thousandth of an inch, Wicked Local reported.

Stores will also be allowed to provide thin film plastic bags for dry cleaning, newspapers, produce, meat, bulk foods, wet items and other similar merchandise, Wicked Local reported.