Santa Fe Bag ban proposal 'far from done deal'

From the Santa Fe New Mexican.com - by Julie Ann Grimm - A preliminary proposal to stop Santa Fe retail stores from providing plastic carryout bags received mixed reviews Tuesday from a city advisory committee. Policymakers plan next to hold a community meeting in conjunction with the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce to gather input about how such a proposal could affect businesses and the environment here. In 2008, the City Council considered a plan to make retailers charge customers for plastic bags, but councilors ultimately backed away from the idea, voting instead to direct city staff to come up with an education program to discourage use of disposable plastic bags. Business ombudsman Fabian Trujillo said the current effort is a way to “revive implementation” of that resolution. Staff in the city’s Economic Development Department and members of the Business and Quality of Life Committee are working on a draft proposal that would ban single-use plastic carryout bags at retail stores and require stores to charge customers a fee for a paper bag. Stores would be mandated to provide or sell reusable bags. Read more

Santa Fe Bag ban proposal 'far from done deal'