EUGENE, ORE. (Oct. 23, 10:45 a.m. ET) – The Eugene City Council voted 6-2 to approve a ban on single-use plastic bags at retail stores on Oct. 22.
The ban will take effect in six months.
Single-use paper bags are still allowed under the ordinance, but retailers are required to charge at least 5 cents each for those bags.
Councilman Mike Clark voted against the ban, saying he supported the idea of encouraging a reduction in bag use, but he did not favor the bag fee.
Councilman George Poling also voted against the ban, saying the issue is a matter of choice. Poling said the problem isn’t single-use bags — because they are often reused — but people who do not dispose of the bags properly.
