Oregon Bag Ban

Take Action
We encourage you to contact your legistlators and tell them to ban the bag.  Most effective, is to call or visit your representatives directly or if you prefer, take just a few moments to automatically send a pre-writen message through the Oregon Conservation Network by clicking here:

About the Bag Ban
Oregonians use an estimated 1.7 billion plastic checkout bags every year. Plastic pollution has become a critical problem in our oceans, with as much as 100 million tons now polluting the North Pacific alone. Plastic never biodegrades; it only photo-degrades into smaller and smaller bits, strangling, suffocating and poisoning sea life, including whales, fish and birds. SB 536 would ban single use plastic checkout bags at all retail outlets in Oregon.

In addition, plastic bags cost municipalities around the state millions of taxpayer dollars in sewer maintenance and recycling facility repair. Plastic bags are also a nuisance in rural communities as they entangle farm equipment and get caught up in fencing. Cities, counties, and countries around the world are implementing bag fees and bans to address this problem.  Oregon grocers and environmental groups are already lining up to support the proposed statewide ban on single-use plastic checkout bags.

The proposed ban would take effect by November 2011 and require at least a nickel charge on recycled paper checkout bags. The charge is designed to let stores recover the cost of the paper bags and encourage shoppers to switch to reusable bags. The bill is supported by the Northwest Grocery Association, retailer Fred Meyer, environmental groups, and others.  The Oregonian reports that if the proposal clears the Legislature this year, Oregon would likely be the first state to adopt a statewide ban.  The proposal would exempt pharmacies, restaurants, and other shops whose main business is preparing food and drink.