Starting Jan. 1, the price of a paper bag increased from 10 cents to 25 cents at retail stores affected by an ordinance adopted by San Mateo County and several municipalities.
The reusable bag ordinance took effect in April 2013.
Since the ordinance, the number of shoppers bringing their own bags has increased 162 percent, according to a county survey. Prior to the ordinance, which also banned single-use plastic bags at carryout, local retailers used more than 63 million single-use plastic bags each year.
Woodside, which did not adopt the county ordinance or pass its own, will fall under California law, which requires large retailers to charge 10 cents per bag beginning July 1, 2015.
