The Eugene City Council voted to ban single-use plastic bags on October 22nd. Environmentalists asked the council for the plastic bag ban and stated that even though plastic bags can be reused, people don’t reuse them enough to reach a sustainable level.
The ban will take effect in six months, and local grocery stores will begin charging a minimum of five cents per paper bag a customer uses. The state’s grocers association supports the fee as an incentive for shoppers to use reusable bags and to allow retailers to offset the higher cost of paper bags.
The ban contains exemptions, such as the bags used to carry produce, meat, and bulk food. Thicker plastic bags including those given to customers at department stores and those used for carry-out hot food would still be allowed.
Joining Portland and Corvallis, Eugene will become the third Oregon city with a plastic bag ban.