Oregon House Approved Bill to Expand Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): By a vote of 33 to 19, the Oregon House approved Senate Bill 551 on Wednesday. The measure suggests extending the prohibition on single-use plastic shopping bags that was already in place. The bill was approved by the Oregon Senate earlier in March with a vote of 22–8. Following a final Senate concurrence vote, Senate Bill 551 will now proceed to the governor's desk. The law would take effect in July 2026 if it were enacted.

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Beginning January 1, 2020, all retail, supermarket, and convenience businesses as well as restaurants were subject to the previous ban on plastic bags. According to a Senate bill, Oregon restaurants, grocery stores, and other retail facilities would no longer accept plastic film bags at the register.

After single-use plastic bags were outlawed, so-called reusable bags gained popularity at checkout. These bags were labeled as being reusable more than 100 times. But in practice, very few individuals were reusing them. Rather, they battered them and handled them like single-use bags, which was bad for the environment. As a result, lawmakers decided to include thicker plastic film bags in the ban.

The bill's proponents assert that the enlarged prohibition will contribute to a decrease in plastic debris in rivers.