City wants to charge for plastic bags

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The cost of buying groceries could be getting more expensive, but not for the reason you think.

The city of Austin has released the draft ordinance on how the city plans to cut down on the number of retail plastic bags people use.

In the proposal , released Friday, retailers will have to charge shoppers 25 cents per plastic or paper bag for three years, starting January 2013.

Once the three-year transition period ends in January 2016, stores won’t be allowed to distribute or sell single-use bags at all.

During the transition period, the temporary surcharge won’t apply to customers using a Lone Star Card and retailers will get to keep 10 percent for administrative purposes.

"Families and lower-income citizens will be disproportionately affected by rising costs: being forced to pay a very hefty fee for each plastic or paper bag during the transition period, and being forced to buy reusable bags after plastic and paper are banned outright," said Ronnie Volkening, president and CEO of Texas Retailers Association.

The city plans to use the funds collected to further promote the use of reusable bags.

Not all plastic and/or paper bags will be banned: dry cleaner bags, restaurant to-go bags, and several other bags fall under the exemption list.

A proponent of the ban, Mayor Lee Leffingwell recently said the city wants to listen to everybody's perspective on it [ordinance].

The draft ordinance will be presented at the Solid Waste Advisory Commission on Dec. 14.

Members can still make changes and revisions to the draft before City Council votes on it – which would be in early 2012.

The only city in Texas that currently has a plastic bag ban/tax is Brownsville .