Single Use Plastic Bags Ordinance

Information for Business Owners

Starting January 1, 2020, businesses operating within Camden city limits should not provide single-use plastic carryout bags to their customers.

The Camden City Council adopted a Single–Use Plastic Bag Ordinance on March 26, 2019 in order to protect flora, fauna and waterways within the City, maximize the operating life of solid waste landfills and lessen the economic and environmental costs of managing waste, and promote the use of reusable bags for shopping. Customers may bring in their own reusable bags. Reusable bags are defined as being made of cloth or other machine washable fabric that has handles, or a durable plastic bag with handles that is at least 2.25 mil thick recyclable plastic and designed for multiple reuse.

Read the complete ordinance here.

Download the Information for Business Owners or Información para negocios

Download a sign to inform your customers or firme para informar a sus clientes

The City of Camden’s Single-Use Plastic Bag Ordinance applies to any establishment or business operating within city limits that provides carryout bags to its customers, through its employees or independent contractors associated with the business. The bags being regulated are defined as: bags with handles made predominately of plastic and provided at check stands, cash registers, point of sale or other point of departure, for the purpose of transporting food or merchandise out of the retail establishment.

The ordinance does not apply to:

Laundry/dry-cleaning bags, door-hanger bags, newspaper bags, or packages of multiple bags intended for use as garbage, pet waste or yard waste.
Bags provided by pharmacist or veterinarians to contain prescription drugs or other medical necessities.
Bags used by a customer inside a business establishment.
Bags of any type that the customer brings to the store for their own use for carrying away from the store goods that are not placed in a bag provided by the store.

Businesses operating within Camden city limits with questions should contact City Hall at 803-432-2421.

Enforcement of the ordinance, effective January 1, 2020 will be on a complaint and inspection basis. Repeat non-compliance with the term of the ordinance will be considered a violation of the City of Camden Code of Ordinances. Violations will be subject to warning, citation, and/or imposition of fines after January 1, 2020.

Download the Business Request for Waiver to be exempted from the ordinance.