Silver City Council to decide on plastic bag ban

HOBBS (Scrap Monster): The Town of Silver City will vote tonight to decide whether or not to ban plastic bags, amidst concerns by Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce that such a ban would increase the costs of retailers. The ban was proposed by Town Councilor Cynthia Ann Bettison.

The proposed legislation would ban use of plastic bags within town limits. The businesses in Silver City will have to switch to paper bags. Restaurants are exempt from the ban. Several local environmentalist groups have backed the proposal, stating that plastic bag ban would prevent filling up of landfills. However, the Chamber of Commerce has raised concerns on the proposed ban. According to them, the ban would add costs for the retailers, who in turn will be forced to pass on the cost to consumers.

Earlier in 2013, Santa Fe municipality had implemented plastic bag ban on all retail stores and proposed 10 cent fees on paper bags. The paper bag fee was revoked, though. The ban which went into effect during February this year applied to all plastic bags of thickness lesser than 2.25 mil.

If Silver City Town Council passes the ban, it will be the second municipality in New Mexico to do so.