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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Plastic Bag Ban Meeting Date: July 23, 2012 Agenda Item Number: C Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Ethan Nelson www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5224 ISSUE STATEMENT This council work session is a continuation of the February 27, 2012, council discussion on banning plastic bags from retail establishments in Eugene. BACKGROUND The council discussed a proposed plastic bag ordinance advanced by Councilor Alan Zelenka at the February 27, 2012, work session. In particular, the council deliberated the inclusion of a City mandated five-cent fee for single-use paper bags (included as Attachment A). Based on council discussion at the work session and interviews with City of Portland and City of Corvallis, City staff revised the draft ordinance to remove the five-cent fee (included as Attachment B). To provide an opportunity for public input on the proposed ban, City staff created a project webpage: www.eugene-or.gov/plasticbags. Links to a consumer and retail survey (included at the end of Attachment C) were provided as well as the original agenda item summary (AIS), staff report, proposed and revised ordinances, and links to plastic bag ban resource pages. Over 2,000 respondents identifying as consumers, and over 80 respondents identifying as retailers, took part in the survey. Attachment C: Plastic Bag Ban Survey Summary provides greater detail on the public and retailer’s position on a bag ban and related issues. All comments from the consumer survey are provided in Attachment D and comments from the retailer survey are provided in Attachment E (note: the consumer attachment is 127 pages). RELATED CITY POLICIES The City of Eugene regulates licensed garbage and recycling hauling activities within the city limits. These activities are guided by Oregon Revised Statues as well as the Eugene City Code. In particular, ORS 459a outlines the “Opportunity to Recycle” for all Oregonians and sets garbage diversion rates that county’s and their municipalities should strive for. The Lane County goal is to achieve 54 percent diversion on an annual basis by 2009. This level was reached for the first time in 2010 (57.4 percent). Outside of this statewide policy, waste reduction and diversion is included as an action item within Eugene’s Climate and Energy Action Plan. TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE – SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC IMPACTS The staff analysis from the February 27, 2012, work session includes a detailed discussion on the triple bottom line elements involved in a plastic bag ban. If the adopted ordinance includes a five-cent fee for S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M120723\S120723C.doc