In 1971, Oregon became the first state to pass a bottle bill. Will it be the first state to ban plastic single use check-out bags? If SB 536 passes restrictions would be applied in November to single-use bags in grocery stores and many other retailers. The bill allows retailers covered by the ban to charge a nickel or more per paper bag used and requires that they come from plants that use recycled fiber for at least 40 percent of their bag-making material. Eliminating the use of plastic bags, while charging a fee for paper, could have a positive impact on jobs since paper bags are made in Oregon. Plastic bags are a problem because they easily blown around and end up littering our waterways and other natural areas; they are also known to clog sewers and recycling machinery.
