Philly folks, get ready to bring your reusable bags when you go shopping. The City of Philadelphia has announced that the ban for single-use plastic bags and non-recycled content paper bags will begin on October 1st, with the transition period for businesses beginning Thursday, July 1.

The ban will require retail businesses like supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, take-out restaurants, farmer’s markets and even food trucks to switch to recyclable paper bags or to offer customers to buy reusable bags.

Starting July 31st, retail businesses will be required to post clear and visible signs telling their customers that they will no longer provide single-use plastic bags and non-recycled content paper bags as of October 1st. Signs in multiple languages can be downloaded here.

Although the ban will begin in October, it will not be fully enforced until April 1, 2022.

The City Council passed the ban on single-use plastic bags in December 2019 and it was supposed to begin last July, but was postponed because of the COVID pandemic.