Eugene, Oregon businesses and residents are encountering few difficulties and are actively embracing the city’s new plastic bag ban that began May 1, 2013. City administrators indicate that they have yet to receive any complaints about the process for gradually easing into a comprehensive plastic bag ban. Eugene is the third city in the state to implement such a ban joining Corvallis and Portland.

Eugene has a designated zero waste analyst who is dedicated to implementing, monitoring, and reporting on the new initiative. Based on initial reports, businesses have not registered any complaints about financial or procedural inconveniences associated with the ban, however, there have been questions about who the ban applies to and the timeline for making the changes indicted by the new regulations.

The new law states that for all residents and business in the city of Eugene all plastic bags are banned from use in grocery stores, retail shops and and any other businesses that might provide plastic bags to customers. All businesses in these categories are required to offer paper bags to customers at a charge of five cents for each bag. The city provided exemption of one year to several businesses that were able to show that they had a large inventory of plastic bags already in stock and that the switch to paper would create a financial hardship.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Plastic bag bans are growing in number in both large and small cities around the country. If your business uses them then it’s in your best interest to start finding affordable, “green” alternatives!