City Council to Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags Starting Jan 1

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Las Cruces City Council announced new rule that prohibits majority of retailers from handing out single-use plastic bags to customers. It was approved by a unanimous vote at the Council meeting held yesterday. The proposed ban will come into effect on Jan 1, 2022.

Accordingly, retailers will be allowed to provide only 40% post-consumer recycled content paper bags, reusable bags or recycled cardboard boxes. Each paper bag distributed at checkout will have to be charged 10 cents per bag.

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The retailers are required to provide quarterly report to the city detailing the number of paper bags distributed along with the revenue collected during each quarter. Half of the revenue collected must be transferred to the city, which will be used towards awareness campaigns and purchase of alternative reusable bags for the public.

Customers will be allowed to bring their own reusable bags made of cloth, fabric or other durable materials. The retailers could even provide them to customers for free or for a fixed charge.

Certain types of bags such as prescription drug bags, dry cleaning bags, bags for packing meat, bakery goods or produce, garbage bags, bags for yard waste, pet waste bags and newspaper bags are exempted from the ban.