Legislature passes single-use plastic bag ban, polystyrene ban fails

SALEM, Ore. — A bill to ban single-use plastic bags in Oregon is headed to the governor’s desk.

In a 17 to 12 vote Tuesday, the Senate passed House Bill 2509. The legislation would prevent grocery stores and some retailers from offering plastic bags at checkout, and would allow them to charge customers a fee for paper.

California passed a single-use plastic bag ban in 2016.

Meanwhile an effort to ban styrofoam state-wide failed. House Bill 2883 would have banned the use of polystyrene containers at restaurants, food trucks, and supermarkets. It passed the House in April, but failed in the Senate on Tuesday.

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that HB 2883 passed. The vote was 15 yes to 14 no. The legislation required 16 ‘yes’ votes in order to pass.