MN Legislature Blocks Minneapolis From Banning Plastic Bags

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Minneapolis ordinance banning plastic carryout bags will not take effect as previously planned June 1 due to a statute passed by the Minnesota State Legislature prohibiting cities from imposing any ban on the use of bags. Enforcement will not begin on the new ordinance while the city explores potential amendments to address the remainder consistent with new state law, recently signed by Gov. Mark Dayton:

All merchants, itinerant vendors, and peddlers doing business in this state shall have the option to provide customers a paper, plastic, or reusable bag for the packaging of any item or good purchased, provided such purchase is of a size and manner commensurate with the use of paper, plastic, or reusable bags.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no political subdivision shall impose any ban upon the use of paper, plastic, or reusable bags for packaging of any item or good purchased from a merchant, itinerant vendor, or peddler.

The city of Minneapolis now encourages residents to use their own bags to reduce the litter, waste, environmental impacts and expense of managing carryout bags.

According to the city, plastic bags have significant impacts on the environment and waste stream. Reducing the number of paper and plastic shopping bags can have a positive impact by cutting down on litter, the effects of a material that never breaks down, and the expense of managing bags at recycling facilities.

• Litter
  • In 2002, 50 million to 80 million bags in the U.S. ended up as litter.
  • Once plastic enters the environment, it never leaves; the pieces just become smaller and smaller.
• Waste production
  • Minnesotans throw away 87,000 tons of plastic bags every year.
  • In Minneapolis, most plastic bags end up in the downtown garbage burner.
  • In the U.S., less than 5 percent of standard HDPE plastic bags are recycled while more than 49 percent of paper bags are.
  • All bags require energy to make, create waste, and cause greenhouse gas emissions and air and water pollution.
  • Plastic carryout bags create 9 pounds of solid waste, 18 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and 2 pounds of water pollution per 10,000 uses.
  • Plastic bags that end up in regular recycling facilities are not recycled.
• Expense to manage
  • Plastic bags wrap around sorting machines, requiring the sorting line to be shut down several times each day.

Image via Randy Wick, Flickr, used under Creative Commons