Minneapolis plastic bag ban gets public hearing
MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A Minneapolis City council committee will hear public comments Monday on the proposed Bring Your Own Bag ordinance that would ban businesses from providing single-use, plastic carryout bags to customers. The plastic bag ban would take effect April 22, 2017.
The objective of the ordinance is “to reduce litter, waste, lifecycle environmental impacts, and negative impacts on recycling facilities of single-use bags, and incentivize Minneapolis consumers to use reusable bags.”
Single-use, plastic carryout bags do not include:
Bags without handles used by customers inside stores to package bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, candy, greeting cards, or small hardware items, such as nails and bolts, or to contain or wrap frozen foods, meat or fish, whether prepackaged or not, or to contain or wrap flowers or potted plants, or other items where dampness may be a problem, or to contain unwrapped prepared foods or bakery goods, or to contain prescription drugs.
Bags used to safeguard public health and safety during the transportation of prepared take-out foods and prepared liquids intended for consumption away from the retail establishment.
Newspaper bags, door-hanger bags, laundry-dry cleaning bags, bags used to protect fine art paper, or bags sold in packages containing multiple bags intended for use as garbage, pet waste, or yard waste bags.
Read the complete text of the proposed ordinance at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/public/@clerk/documents/agenda/wcmsp-175529.pdf