Single-use bag ban outreach in effect

AUSTIN (KXAN) - It is the first step in Austin's ban on single-use plastic and paper bags. City Council approved the ban last spring, and a lot of outreach is ahead of the ordinance going into effect next year in March.

To make that easier, Austin Resource Recovery passed out free, reusable cloth bags Tuesday morning at a transit center in North Austin. Six months from now, shoppers will have to use these or something similar when they head to stores in the city.

There are some exceptions like bags for dry cleaning, produce and meat.

The city is able to do outreach because the council set aside $2 million for that purpose when they passed the ordinance last spring. That money will come from savings from plastic litter clean-up - something that is expected to decrease after this ban happens.

Shoppers can still get in on these reusable bag giveaways:

• Wednesday, 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. -- Congress Avenue and 10th Street bus stop
• Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. -- 7th Street and Pleasant Valley Bus Stop (near H-E-B)