Repeal of Plastic Bag Ban in Albuquerque Vetoed by Mayor

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Mayor Tim Keller has vetoed the recent decision by the Albuquerque city council to repeal the Albuquerque Clean & Green Retail Ordinance, which proposes ban on single-use plastic bags. He asked councillors to defer any decision until the completion of the ongoing study on the ban’s impact.

The bag ban issue is now back onto the council’s next agenda, which will now decide whether or not to override Mayor’s veto. The ban would require at least one councillor to change his/her mind as the repeal was passed in a 6-3 vote. A total vote of 6 would override a mayoral veto.

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The Mayor’s memo called for considering ways to improve the ordinance rather than ‘outright repeal’ of the same. It noted that the ordinance provides the City’s Solid Waste Department the flexibility to make any necessary adjustments. Keller noted that the heated debates surrounding the ban have become unnecessarily divisive. At the same time, he acknowledged that the veto may not ultimately stand.

The ordinance, originally passed in 2019, prohibited grocers and other stores from selling or distributing single-use plastic bags at checkouts starting January 1, 2020. The ban was suspended temporarily on account of Covid-19 outbreak. However, it was later reinstated.