LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)–A township in Lancaster County will be the first one in the area to ban single-use plastic bags.

Starting on Jan. 1, in Lancaster Township it will be prohibited for customers to use a single-use bag for shopping at retailers, according to an agenda from a Board of Commissioners meeting Monday.

Retailers will be allowed to provide shoppers with paper bags or reusable bags. If the customer has to buy one of the bags they will appear on the receipt.

For thirty days before the ban on plastic bag use starts, and also for six months after, Retailers are required to have signage out telling customers that single-use plastic bags will no longer be provided.

It is possible that a retailer could be exempted from the single-use plastic bag ban. A retailer can request to be exempt from the ban for one year after it starts, as long as it shows to the Township Manager that it will “undue hardship,” meaning that the establishment has no other alternative to single-use plastic bags.

It is estimated that Pennsylvanians use more than 4 billion single-use plastic bags each year, according to PennEnviroment.