Dear Portlander,
Oregonians use an estimated 1.7 billion single-use plastic checkout bags each year—
the equivalent of 444 bags for every man, woman, and child in Oregon, every year.
That’s a bad habit worth kicking.
Growing up on the Oregon coast, I saw firsthand the devastating effects that discarded
plastic has on our waterways and wildlife. In Portland, and in all of Oregon, single-use
plastic checkout bags are an eyesore, getting into our waterways and our storm drains.
Plastic bags are a nuisance, jamming up recycling facility machines and costing those
facilities tens of thousands of dollars a month in maintenance and labor to fix the mess.
And globally, plastic bags are part of an environmental crisis—from the oil needed to
manufacture and transport bags around the planet, to the massive plastic islands of
trash destroying our oceans and intoxicating our marine food web.
That’s why I’m introducing an ordinance at City Council on July 21 at 3:45 pm that
would prohibit the largest generators of single-use plastic checkout bags—large grocery
stores and large retailers that have pharmacies—from distributing these bags to their
This policy is a pragmatic approach to a real and seemingly insurmountable problem,
and was shaped by a coalition of businesses, environmental groups and city staff, and
informed by lessons from cities and nations that have already taken action on single-use
plastic checkout bags—from San Francisco to China. Portlanders are prepared to lead the
way in Oregon.
If approved, the ban would take effect on October 15, 2011. The policy also promotes the
use of reusable checkout bags, and provides reusable bags free-of-charge to qualifying low-
income residents and seniors. This initiative does not mandate retailers to charge a bag fee,
and does not prevent retailers from offering a reusable checkout bag discount. Full details
of the proposal, including answers to frequently asked questions and a copy of the ordinance,
Portland and Oregon have always led the nation on smart environmental policy. Portland’s
economic prosperity is being built on our creativity, our innovation, our expertise in sustain-
ability, and our heritage of great manufacturing. By taking action now, we’re continuing our
city’s leadership in sustainable urban living and making an investment in our city’s future.
Sincerely,
Sam Adams
Mayor
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