Port Townsend is preparing for a paper bag rush.

Port Townsend is preparing for a huge paper bag rush, as stores get ready for the imminent plastic bag ban.

To coincide with the start of the holiday season, from November 1st it will become the seventh city in Washington to adopt a ban on plastic bags, meaning they will no longer be offered at grocery store checkouts or other retailers.

Regular-sized paper bags will instead be free for customers, while larger options will cost a nickel.

The prohibition was unanimously approved by Port Townsend City Council in July, leaving businesses and customers six months to adapt to the new regulations.

Store owner Marion Lodwick told local news site PT Leader that she has since switched to printed paper bags, which have quickly become popular among her patrons.

All paper bags must contain a minimum of 40 per cent recycled content, which is one of the reasons she claims that customers have taken to them so quickly.

However, she admitted that she would rather not have to charge people for larger bags, admitting: "If my customer honours my business by purchasing a large item, I don't want to penalise them by charging a fee for the bag to carry it in, even if it's minimal."

Meanwhile, Jeannine Kempees from At About Time, said that the slight charge reflects Port Townsend's "cutting edge, forward thinking".

She told the newspaper: "I think it is a great step forward and I would like to see it happen in Olympia where I am from and where my other store is located."

Other store owners have claimed that local customers have been very much in support of the ban and the environmental reasons behind switching from plastic to paper bags.

The council is looking forward to assessing the initial impacts of the ban and feedback is being encouraged from businesses and shoppers.

We offer a wide range of environmentally friendly options from paper bags to our customisable cotton bags. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today to find out more