Correction appended

Portland shoppers, bid farewell to plastic bags.

Soon, disposable bags for carrying your take-out pad Thai, your 7-Eleven sundries and your farmers market flowers will go the way of polystyrene.

The Portland City Council on Thursday greatly expanded the city's

at big-box stores and supermarkets, voting 5-0 to phase out plastic checkout bags at an estimated 5,000 restaurants and retailers, including food carts, farmers markets and corner stores.

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Portland's 2011 rule affected fewer than 200 businesses. The new rules, which take effect next year, will be a lot harder for residents and visitors to avoid.

The regulations kick in for big retailers March 1 and will cover all other Portland businesses as of Oct. 1.

Business owners will still be able to provide plastic bags for bulk items, produce, meats, dry cleaning and prescription drugs. Other so-called "goopy items" could get exceptions later, city officials said. Durable plastic bags -- at least 4 thousandths of an inch thick with handles -- also will still be allowed.

Portland bag ban

Current:

Since October 2011, single-use plastic bags at checkout have been banned at supermarkets with $2 million or more in gross annual sales and at stores (such as Fred Meyer) with pharmacies and at least 10,000 square feet.

Starting March 1:

Stores and food providers with at least 10,000 square feet will be limited to paper or reusable bags at checkout.

Starting Oct. 1:

All stores and food providers, including farmers markets and food carts, will be limited to paper or reusable bags at checkout.

Exceptions:

Plastic bags can be used for prescriptions, bulk items, produce, meats and dry cleaning; and to keep one item from “damaging or contaminating” another.

Places with similar laws:

A growing list includes dozens of California cities and counties; Seattle; Aspen, Colo.; Maui and Kauai, Hawaii; and entire countries such as Italy and Rwanda. Bans are on track in Eugene and Corvallis, Ore.

Otherwise, customers will have to switch to paper, bring their own bags or go without to carry items out of stores.

"I believe Portlanders will rise to the challenge," Commissioner Dan Saltzman said in front of a small audience of supporters wearing blue "ban the bag" T-shirts and a few others dressed in "bag monster" costumes made from hundreds of discarded plastic bags.

Portland last year became the first city in Oregon -- but not the first in the United States -- to limit plastic checkout bags, after an effort to pass a statewide ban fell short in the Legislature.

Plastic shopping bags have been under attack for years as a menace to wildlife and the environment, with a growing number of cities and even entire nations such as Italy banning or limiting them.

Portland's measure drew little opposition Thursday. The Northwest Grocery Association and some environmental groups had encouraged the City Council to adopt a mandatory 5-cent fee on paper bags to encourage shoppers to choose reusable bags.

But Mayor Sam Adams said he dropped that idea when he realized it wouldn't get unanimous City Council support.

Still, some kept up the plea. Joe Gilliam, president of the grocery association, said Thursday that his organization would prefer a fee, arguing that the cost of providing paper bags is high.

His group supported the ban anyway, and he said he was pleased that all retailers will be affected.

"It should apply to all businesses equally or not at all," he said.

Elsewhere in Oregon, Corvallis and Eugene have approved bag bans this year, though both mandated a 5-cent fee on paper bags.

Newport, Adams' hometown, could adopt a similar measure by popular vote in May.

"Newport better do it," Adams joked Thursday. "It's where I grew up."

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This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Durable plastic bags at least 4 mil -- or 4 thousandths of an inch -- not 4 millimeters will still be allowed.