Salem joins cities such as Corvallis, McMinnville and Portland, which have instituted similar bans over the years.

SALEM, Ore. — Following a months-long wind up, the Salem City Council on Monday night banned plastic carryout bags throughout the city, with the new restrictions going into effect next year.

Councilors also cut language requested earlier this month that would have allowed retailers that comply with the ordinance before it becomes effective to opt not to charge a fee for recyclable paper bags.

Salem joins cities such as Corvallis, McMinnville and Portland, which have instituted similar bans over the years.

In turn, shoppers should prepare to either bring reusable bags to the store or pay a small fee for recyclable paper bags. Still, the ban has limited reach. For example, customers could still stuff items such as meats and vegetables into plastic bags.

Rules take effect next year

Retailers will have several months to scrap their plastic carryout bags and institute the new fee for paper.

Businesses larger than 10,000 square feet in size — think Walmart, Costco and Fred Meyer — will have until April 1, 2019 to get squared away. Smaller outfits will have until Sept. 1, 2019 to obey the rules.

Individually, businesses could ask the city to push out their deadlines no more than six months if they can show that implementing the ban will cause "undue hardship not generally applicable to other persons in similar circumstances."

"Undue hardship means circumstances or situations unique to the particular retail establishment that results in no reasonable alternatives to the use of single-use plastic carryout bags or which results in the inability to collect a recyclable paper bag pass-through cost," the ordinance states.

Certain plastic bags exempted

The ordinance specifically targets plastic carryout bags, which are defined by the city as "any carryout bag made predominately of plastic, either petroleum or biologically based, and made available by a retail establishment to a customer at the point of sale.

"It includes compostable bags, biodegradable bags, and thicker plastic bags (e.g., 2.25 mils or 4.0 mils), but does not include reusable bags, recyclable paper bags, or bags exempted from the definition of carryout bag," according to the ordinance.

However, that doesn't mean stores will be stripped of plastic bags altogether. Bags that carry items such as meat, vegetables, fruit, bakery goods, bulk items, flowers and pharmacy prescriptions are OK under the ban, city spokesman Kenny Larson has said.

What paper bags will cost — usually

Stores will still be allowed to offer paper bags, but they will have to charge at least 5 cents for each one.

Businesses also must show that charge on customers' receipts if they offer itemized receipts.

Customers also could bring reusable bags, which could usually be had for a few dollars. The ordinance has defined those as bags made from "machine washable cloth, woven synthetic fiber, or woven and non-woven polypropylene with handles that are specifically designed and manufactured for long-term multiple reuses."

Paper bag fee exemption

Customers who present welfare benefits such as Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children vouchers at the point-of-sale won't have to pay for paper bags.

Those customers could ask for reusable bags, recyclable bags or another way to carry out their purchase for free, under the ordinance.

Also exempted will be customers who present Electronic Benefits Transfer cards for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.