Oregon lawmakers send plastic bag ban to governor’s desk

Oregon’s state senate on Tuesday approved a ban on single-use plastic checkout bags, the Statesman Journal reported.

House Bill 2509 will now go to Gov. Kate Brown (D) for final approval after being passed by a 17-12 vote. She is expected to sign the ban, according to the Journal.

The Senate rejected House Bill 2883, which would have prohibited prepared food from being sold in polystyrene foam containers, during the same session.

{mosads}Those two bills were among three debated in Oregon’s state legislature this year to reduce plastic pollution.

Senate Bill 90, a prohibition on restaurants giving customers plastic straws in most cases unless requested, was sent to Brown’s desk late last month.

Sixteen Oregon cities already have local laws banning single-use plastic bags.

Under the ban approved in the Senate Tuesday, retailers would be allowed to provide recycled paper bags, reusable heavy plastic bags, or reusable fabric bags for at least 5 cents per bag.

Restaurants could provide recycled paper bags at no cost or reusable plastic bags for at least 5 cents per bag, according to the Journal.