State single-use plastic bag ban to replace Bend ban Jan. 1
Bend council voted to repeal local ban to avoid confusion with state move
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The statewide ban on single-use plastic bans officially goes into effect Jan. 1, following the Bend City Council's decision to repeal a local plastic bag ban in July.
The state law, House Bill 2509, signed by Gov. Kate Brown on June 20, restricts all retail stores from providing single-use plastic bags. Instead, retailers will provide recycled paper bags, reusable heavy plastic bags or reusable fabric bags.
NewsChannel 21 asked the public Wednesday whether they agree or disagree with the ban.
"I like the plastic bags because I reuse them in my wastebaskets in the bathroom," Debbie Derheimer of Bend said.
Mary Puskas, another local shopper, disagrees.
"I do think they should be banned," Puskas said. "I recently took a trip to Morrocco. I went by the Mediterranean Sea, and the beach was full of plastic, which the birds were eating. To imagine that that far away, in a very remote place, it's frightening. It really is destroying our oceans."
However, the environmentally friendly change comes at a cost for customers. People will be required to pay a fee of 5 cents per paper bag.
Restaurant bags for takeout, as well as plastic bags used for produce, bulk foods and meat, are exempt from the ban. People with WIC or SNAP benefits are not required to pay the 5-cent fee per paper bag.
Oregon joins California, New York and Hawaii in banning single-use plastic bags.
The single-use plastic bag ban is one of three eco-friendly bills state legislators hoped to pass. The bill requiring people to ask for plastic straws at restaurants, instead of automatically getting handed one, passed in June.
The proposed ban on the use of Styrofoam containers in restaurants did not pass.
The city says the decision to repeal the city ban was so people would not be confused between the local law, which went into effect July 1 and was repealed two weeks later, and the state law.
To learn more about the city's decision to repeal the local ban and the differences between the state and local bans, visit the City of Bend's blog post at https://www.bendoregon.gov/Home/Components/Blog/Blog/21015/.
Safeway/Albertson plastic bags disintegrate after time. I know. I stored long lengths of mini-lights for Christmas in the bags, and eventually they wound up on the garage floor when the bags fell apart.
disintegrate into what?… and where does it go?
Microplastics in your shellfish anyone?
Right On !!
Yet another feel good law and new tax to go along with it. Never mind the plastic trash bags, zip lock and other storage bags. Then there is all the other plastic that is produced daily.
Stupid government gods thinking they can somehow save whales south of the equator from plastic bags making their way from Knott landfill to the sea. The stupidity in Salem is staggering.
I have always reused the plastic bags – so does that mean they are not a single use bag and still available?
why aren’t the tax payers exempt from the 5 cent per bag like the Wic and Snap bums.
“The single-use plastic bag ban is one of three eco-friendly bills state legislators hoped to pass. The bill requiring people to ask for plastic straws at restaurants, instead of automatically getting handed one, passed in June.”
You have got to be kidding me. A bill requiring people to ask for plastic straws ?
I feel better knowing that the legislators are doing really important,life altering work…
Paying 5 cents per bag is a scam. Paper bags that weren’t made out of recycled paper
were used in grocery stores for years, and they didn’t blatantly gouge customers 5 cents.
I understand businesses have costs that are calculated but at least have the decency
to do it subliminally…
Remember when paper bags were the most horrible things because we had to save the trees? Remember when we were all going to die from the global cooling ushering the new ice age? Good times, good times.
How many of those bags in Morocco do you suppose came from Oregon? People in many other cultures are slobs. This will have zero effect on the garbage patch, but it will cost you 5c if you forget your bag at home.
A behavior change with shoppers and grocery employees would have been much more effective. Nearly all groceries are still unnecessarily bagged. Why put things like cereal boxes, jars, cans, etc. in bags? Just place the groceries back in your shopping cart without bags. Not using resources in the first place is best for our environment.
Microplastics in your shellfish anyone? Plastic bags break down into smaller and smaller particles. Bigger pieces are eaten by birds and fish. The micro bits are tak
Just had to check in to this, now unreadable, website. Another stupid law that will do nothing. It’s ALWAYS about the money. Salem will get their 5 cents for all the bags. And people that bring their own bags are still going to use plastic bags. I use plastic bags for dog poop and in my trash cans. So. Now, I have to buy larger trash bags and dog poop bags. We will all use the same amount of plastic bags but Salem gets more of our money. Can’t wait until February when my new building is ready outside of this state. Kate can KMA with her new taxes and laws and the 12 employees that will either move or stay can thank her.
You can get 1000 grocery bags for only $20 on Amazon. You don’t need to use bigger bags for your dog.
Also, and I feel the need to point this out since so many people are on about it, 5 cents is effectively free. Just pay it. It’s nothing.
Or bring your own bags…if you’re not afraid of looking like a Democrat. 🙂