Single-Use Bag Ban
Single-Use Bag Ban
In April 2008, Austin City Council approved a resolution calling on retailers to voluntarily reduce the volume of their single-use carryout bags by 50 percent. Unsatisfied by the volunteer efforts, the Austin City Council revisited the issue in April 2011 with the passage of another resolution. This measure directed the City Manager “to draft, process, and bring forward for Council consideration by November 2011, an ordinance providing a comprehensive phase-out of single-use plastic bags offered at retail check-outs within the city limits of Austin.”
At a City-sponsored forum on Monday, January 30, 2012, Austin Resource Recovery Director Bob Gedert provided details on the latest draft ordinance that would ban single-use carry out bags in Austin. The ordinance would accomplish the following:
- Replaces retail carry-out single-use bags with defined reusable / recyclable bags.
- A reusable / recyclable bag is defined as 1) cloth, washable fabric, or other durable materials; 2) recyclable paper with minimum weight and handle; or 3) recyclable plastic with minimum thickness.
- There are exemptions for 1) dry cleaner bags; 2) yard waste bags; 3) produce, meat, and frozen food bags; 4) door hanger and newspaper bags; 5) prescription drug carry-out bags; 6) beer, wine, and spirits carry-out bags; and(7) restaurant carry-out bags.
- There are also hardship variances for Lone Star Card holders and retailers with a demonstrated hardship.
The draft ordinance, as proposed by Gedert, would be phased in over time. Phase 1 would be the education period from Thursday, March 1, 2012 to Thursday, February 28, 2013. Phase 2 would then be the transition period from Friday, March 1, 2013 to Friday, February 28, 2014. During this period, retailers would have the choice of charging 10 cents per bag or one dollar per transaction for customers who still opt for single-use bags. Phase 3, as proposed, would have begun on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at which time no retail checkout single-use bags would be available.
Austin City Council members approved an ordinance that bans retail carry-out single-use bags at their Thursday, March 1, 2012 meeting.
The ordinance accomplishes the following:
- Bans retail carry-out single-use bags and replaces them with defined reusable/recyclable bags.
- A reusable/recyclable bag is defined as 1) cloth, washable fabric, or other durable materials; 2) recyclable paper with minimum weight and handle; or 3) recyclable plastic with minimum thickness.
- There are exemptions for 1) dry cleaner bags; 2) yard waste bags; 3) produce, meat, and frozen food bags; 4) door hanger and newspaper bags; 5) prescription drug carry-out bags; 6) beer, wine, and spirits carry-out bags; 7) restaurant carryout bags; and 8) bags for non-profits and charities.
- There are hardship variances for Lone Star Card holders and retailers with a demonstrated hardship.
The approved ordinance will be enacted in two phases. Phase 1 is a $2 million education effort conducted from Thursday, March 1, 2012 to Thursday, February 28, 2013. Phase 2 begins on Friday, March 1, 2013 on which date no retail checkout single-use bags will be available.
NEW Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance (approved March 1, 2012)
Draft ordinance
