October 19, 2011

The first plastic bag ban in the state of Oregon just went into effect. The city of Portland is banning plastic bags at all major grocery and drug stores. Shoppers are encouraged to bring reusable bags although paper bags will still be available. Many stores are offering shoppers alternatives at a small price such as a thicker reusable bag for ten cents. The city is spending about $10,000 dollars on ads for buses and radio encouraging shoppers to bring reusable bags when they go shopping. The city is also giving away thousands of bags through social service agencies.

Aspen, Colorado also just voted to ban the use of plastic bags. Grocery stores will also be required to charge twenty cents for shoppers to use paper bags. Boulder is another city that may be moving toward a ban. The movement started with a group of students from local schools who lobbied the city council to consider a ban or a fee on plastic bag use. The students belong to the Net Zero Club and the Colorado Daily reports their idea has been included in the city’s Zero Waste Master Plan. The city council is considering three options: putting a fee on disposable paper or plastic bags, a ban on plastic bags or a ban on plastic bags with a fee on paper bags.Two other cities in Colorado are looking at plastic bag regulation. The town council of Basalt approved a plan to charge a fee for plastic bags at grocery stores. In Carbondale, officials are leaning toward a ban on plastic bags rather than a fee.

Supporters of plastic bag bans say they have a major environmental impact. In the state of California alone, residents use 12 billion plastic bags every year. Because the bags are so light they float into water and never biodegrade. They are often broken into smaller pieces that are harmful to sensitive marine life.