Delaware is one step closer to banning most plastic shopping bags by 2021.

The state House on Tuesday passed a bill by Rep. Gerald Brady, D-Wilmington West, that would target the single-use bags commonly seen at supermarkets and convenience stores.

The Senate has to give it similar approval before Gov. John Carney can sign the ban into law. The governor, who since the bill's introduction has kicked off his anti-litter campaign, supports the ban.

THE BAN: Delaware might be the next state to ban plastic shopping bags

The House voted 33-7 for the ban on Tuesday.

Some proponents argue that plastic shopping bags are recycled at low rates, leaving many to end up in the trash. They say it would keep the state, including its watersheds, clean. Supporters also hope it could reduce stormwater and trash management costs.

"It is my hope that we will no longer see plastic bags waving in the wind, littering our environment and waterways," Brady said in a statement following the vote.

But some worry that the ban would be ineffective and have questions about how it would be enforced.

Some also worry that the ban would financially hurt businesses and consumers. Opponents also argue that paper bags, which are not banned under the legislation, would be more expensive and harmful to the environment.

If the bill passes, more than 3,600 businesses in Delaware would have to stop giving out plastic bags at check-out, according to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Some of those businesses have more than one location. Some of those businesses have already stopped using plastic bags.

The ban would apply to stores that are 7,000 square feet or bigger. It would also apply to stores that have three or more Delaware locations, each at least 3,000 square feet.

They would be the same locations that are required to have in-store recycling programs for plastic bags, per state law. Those businesses are responsible for paying the recycling costs of plastic bags at their location, according to DNREC.

Wilmington would be allowed to add more restrictions on which stores would have to ban plastic bags, according to the latest draft of the bill.

Restaurants would be exempt from having to ban plastic bags.

Not all plastic bags would be banned. Garbage bags, dog waste bags, dry-cleaning bags and various other bags used to carry damp or hazardous items are among the plastic bags that would be exempt.

Plastic bags that carry newspapers are also exempt, according to those behind the legislation.

Should the bill become law, Delaware wouldn't be the first state to ban single-use plastic bags. California implemented a ban at large retail stores in 2014, though the ban didn't go into effect until 2016. New York followed suit this year when it passed its own ban that will start in 2020. Other states are now considering similar laws.

Retailers say the policy could also help businesses save money, depending on whether paper bags are also banned or charged for a fee. The current draft of the Delaware bill does not include a fee on plastic bags.

Cities and counties across the country have adopted plastic and paper bag restrictions. That includes Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County in Maryland, both of which require that certain venues charge a 5-cent fee.

Some places that charge a fee say they have seen drastic drops in usage or cleanup of paper and plastic bags.

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