South Portland Shoppers Start Paying For Paper or Plastic Bags Today

If you do any shopping in South Portland, get ready to pony up more money if you don't have your own bags. 

Taking a cue from Portland's law passed in April 2015, you will now be charged a five cent fee for what the city calls 'single-use' bags. They're the typical plastic or paper bags that are usually provided for free to carry out what you buy at the grocery or department store.

If you want to save yourself the five cent fee, you'll need to bring your own reusable bag. Many stores offer them for a fee, which will save you money in the long run.

The new law also bans Styrofoam food containers, so expect to see a different cup when you go and grab your morning coffee at Dunkin'.

The new law is designed to encourage people to recycle and reuse rather than throw their bags away, but is five cents a bag enough to give up the convenience? There are a lot of other re-uses for plastic bags as well. Trash can liners, dog poop picker-upers, or basically anything you need to carry. I bet you've got a drawer at home full of these saved for other uses.

How do you feel about the five cent fee for bags? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.