Dive Summary:
- Santa Fe's Economic Development Department are currently drafting a proposal to ban single-use plastic carryout bags and require a fee for paper bags at retail establishments.
- The proposal received a mixed response from a city advisory committee on Tuesday
- Councilor Rebecca Wurzburger indicated that the committee wants to gather community input before taking action. “This is far from a done deal,” she said.
From the article:
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. Bags with no handles that are used for meat and vegetables would still be allowed.
