Issued on June 8, 2022, Secretary's Order 3407 (SO 3407) aims to reduce the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging with a goal of phasing out all single-use plastic products on Department-managed lands by 2032.

Stores Banned from Providing Single-Use Plastic Bags Full-line, self-service retail stores with gross annual sales of at least $2 million that sell a line of dry groceries, canned goods, or nonfood items, and some perishable items.

Plastic waste is one of many types of wastes that take too long to decompose. Normally, plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. But plastic bags we use in our everyday life take 10-20 years to decompose, while plastic bottles take 450 years.

Paper bags, boxes, and pouches are commonly used for various products, from groceries to clothing. Cardboard, a higher GSM type of paper, presents another good alternative to single-use plastics. It is commonly used for packaging electronics, appliances, and shipping boxes.