Omaha City Council Votes to Ban Plastic Bags in Stores

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Omaha City Council voted 4-3 to pass the proposed ordinance that would ban single-use plastic bags in large retail stores starting 2022.

The voting, which followed a public hearing session that extended to almost two hours, failed to garner five votes- the number required to override a mayoral veto. The supporters of ban including the Nebraska Chapter of the Sierra Club, called the measure a step in the right direction, highlighting the dangers of plastic pollution. Meantime, Nebraska Grocery Industry Association spoke against the ban.

Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert stated that he plans to veto the ordinance. He had earlier announced in the City Council that he would not support the ordinance to ban plastic bags, but instead would support proposal that requires retailers to phase out use of plastic carryout bags by 2025. According to her, the ban ordinance is unlikely to solve the issue of plastic debris in Omaho landfills, parks and other places. The ordinance exempts convenience stores, which are said to account for nearly 90% of the plastic bag litter, she said. Further, she recommended a comprehensive litter study to address the broad problem of plastic debris.

The Omaha plastic bag ban ordinance, sponsored by Ben Gray and Pete Festersen, proposes to ban use of single-use plastic bags by all retailers larger than 10,000 square feet, which obviously includes large retailers such as Hy-Vee, Walmart, Walgreens and Big Lots.

Incidentally, Omaha consumes hundreds of millions of plastic grocery bags every year, which often end up in landfills or along roadsides.