DALLAS — Shopping for groceries and other staples in Dallas is getting 5 cents more expensive — unless customers bring their own bags.
Starting Thursday, the city's new "environmental fee" charges a nickel per single-use paper or plastic bag at groceries and drug and convenience stores, as well as shops at malls and big-box retailers.
Reusable bags, which stores can sell to replace single-use alternatives, won't have the fee.
The ordinance is designed to reduce litter. Similar rules restricting or banning single-use bags have already become common elsewhere in Texas, including in Austin.
The Dallas rules have sparked some confusion. But officials say the idea is to encourage shoppers to bring their own, reusable bags — thus avoiding the new fees.