NC S451

State agencies and political subdivisions receiving state funds must use only reusable, compostable, or recyclable food service ware (plates, cups, utensils, straws, containers) when selling or providing food and beverages, effective October 1, 2023.

Prepared food retailers statewide must use only reusable, compostable, or recyclable disposable food service ware, with stockpiles purchased before October 1, 2023 allowed until exhausted or July 1, 2024, whichever is earlier.

Single-use plastic bags are banned for retailers in counties containing barrier islands or peninsulas with 200+ residents that are bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and a coastal sound, with exemptions for packaging fresh produce, meat, poultry, and fish.

Retailers can substitute recycled paper bags for banned plastic bags only if they offer cash refunds to customers using their own reusable bags, equal to the retailer's cost per recycled paper bag used.

All provisions become effective October 1, 2023, with transition periods allowing retailers to exhaust existing stocks of banned items until July 1, 2024.