Paper or plastic?

In many Oregon towns, including Portland, Eugene and Corvallis, that question has been made a thing of the past with a series of plastic bag bans. Yet Oregon lawmakers took those environmental moves a step further this year by becoming the fourth state in the nation to pass a statewide ban on plastic bags.

House Bill 2509 cleared the Oregon House on a 42-18 vote on April 25. It went on to pass in the Senate in June on a party line vote with one Democrat, Sen. Lee Beyer of Springfield, voting no.

But the bill didn’t stop there. The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, also aims to train shoppers to bring their own reusable bags by requiring that retailers charge 5 cents for each paper or reusable bag they provide.

The rule does not apply to plastic bags used for produce, bulk items or hardware. And restaurants may still provide paper bags for free.

According to information from the Sustainable Shopping Initiative, "when plastic bags end up in recycling bins, they can contaminate the recycling stream and endanger the safety of workers who must untangle them from recycling equipment.”

The report, which includes a list of questions and answers about the legislation, continues:

“This is also a positive first step towards addressing the large amount of plastic debris in the oceans, which threatens Oregon’s marine wildlife.”