PORTLAND, Maine - Portland businesses, officials, and residents are gearing up for two anti-waste initiatives that start next week.
Beginning April 15, there will be a city-wide ban on foam packaging and a 5-cent fee on disposable shopping bags.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine's Sarah Lakeman says disposable bags may seem free, but there's a cost to using them.
"We believe the bag fee will help people get in the habit to use their reusable bags and the result will be a cleaner environment and less waste, which are both good things."
Portland joins the more than 150 communities in the U.S. that have adopted bag ordinances.
