Beginning on May 1, Eugene retailers will be required to stop providing single-use plastic carry out bags that are more than four one-thousandths of an inch thick to customers. The city council approved the ban late last year in an effort to promote reusable shopping bags and keep plastic bags from becoming litter or garbage.

The City of Eugene says removing the majority of plastic bags from the retail landscape requires community members to use reusable bags more often and that the switch from single-use bags to reusable bags lessens the impacts of plastic bag production. This includes a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions associated with production and transport of the bags, less material in local landfills and less litter in woods, streams and natural areas.

The ban also requires customers to bring bags to carry food and merchandise or buy paper bags from merchants for a minimum of five cents per bag.

In response to the ban, the Duck Store will make its iconic plastic bags — known for their impressive book-carrying strength — even thicker.

“We’re increasing the thickness of our bags to 4 mils,” said Eric Breitenstein, Duck Store marketing coordinator.

UO grad student Sarah Brady was happy to hear about the Duck Store’s continued use of plastic bags, however she would rather see thinner bags. 

“I know I will continue to reuse plastic bags and as long as that’s the consumer mindset I think that’s great,” said Brady.

Brady attended a Gordon Research Conference on science and technology policy in New Hampshire last summer. There, she was among 50 other graduate students to present a project that she did outside of academia to compare the life cycle of plastic bags to the plastic bag policy.

“I don’t think consumers are aware of the other environmental impacts,” said Brady, “such as water use or greenhouse gas emissions for plastic bags versus their reusable bags that are very popular.”

Plastic bags are commonly known for clogging waterways, choking fish and because they don’t decompose, they tend to end up as litter.

According to the City of Eugene, residents use an estimated 67 million single-use plastic carryout bags each year. UO chemistry professor David Tyler said every type of bag has some sort of harmful impact on the environment, but the most sustainable option is a reusable tote bag made of recycled plastic.

Regarding the ban, it depends on which environmental impact interests you the most.

“Just because paper is a renewable resource doesn’t automatically make it better for the environment,” Tyler said. “You’d like to use renewable resources whenever possible, but if in the manufacturing process it’s tough on the environment, you don’t really come out ahead.”

Eugene residents had little opposition against the ban, making it fairly easy for the city council to approve. Because plastic bag litter is one of the more visible types of litter, it makes it easier for the public to support the ban. Although it ultimately comes down to what environmental issue you value the most, according to Brady.

“Most people are convinced that plastics are evil,” said Tyler, “so it’s easy to ban them in a community.”

About six months ago, Tyler was asked by plastic bag supporters to write an editorial piece to the major local papers but declined and unknowingly had a comment featured in a YouTube video uploaded by a website titled “Bag the Ban.” The website was made by Hilex Poly, a global leader in plastic bag recycling and manufacturing.

Tyler is against the plastic bag ban, but not for the typical reasons. He’d rather see people being educated not to litter plastic bags and increase research on biodegradable plastics.

“Litter is a human behavior problem that we can solve by education,” Tyler said. “Let’s eliminate the bad things about plastics.”