Oregon Bills Propose Fee on Plastic Bags and Ban on Plastic Straws

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Oregon legislature will consider two bills aimed at restricting the use of plastic products. While the first bill proposes statewide tax on single-use plastic bags used by retail stores, the second one proposes to ban plastic straws. The Senate Committee is scheduled to discuss both the preliminary bills during the informational hearing scheduled this Wednesday.

The draft of bill LC795 proposes to impose a 5-cent per bag excise tax on single-use plastic checkout bags retail establishments selling raw or processed food or alcohol. The tax thus collected should be remitted to the Plastic-Cleanup and Recycling Fund under the Department of Environment Quality. Also, retail establishments are required to provide single-use paper checkout bags and arrange for collection of returned plastic bags. The violation of the provisions allows the department to impose civil penalties of up to $500.

Meantime, LC 1377 prohibits restaurants from providing customers with single-use plastic straws, unless the customer requests for the same. The ban is applicable to straws made primarily from plastic. It exempts those made from sugar cane, pasta and other natural sources. The restaurants found violating the provision will be served with a notice for the first and second violation. Subsequent violations will be fined $25 per day, with a cap on total fines at $300 during a calendar year.