Portland’s Transportation, Sustainability and Energy Committee has voted in favor of a proposal that would require retailers to charge shoppers with 5-cent fee on every single use of plastic or paper bags at grocery stores.
The fee would be charged at stores that sell food items including milk, bread, soda and snacks. However, the fee will not be applicable to dry cleaners, restaurants and farmers markets.
Following the committee's consent, the proposal will now be sent to City Council for approval.
Portland City Councilor Kevin Donoghue was quoted by Portland Press Herald as saying that, "I do believe that as a result we will see fewer plastic bags in our trees, in our public spaces, in our catch basins and in our harbour."
The committee had earlier voted to reduce the fee from 10 to 5 cents.
Many councilors, however, voted against the proposal.
The new proposal on charging fee is said to be be paired with another anti-litter effort that was passed by the committee in April.
As part of that effort, plastic foam or polystyrene food and beverage containers would be banned in the city. Both these proposals will be taken by the City Council soon.
In a bid to encourage shoppers to carry their own bags that are reusable and cut down litter, many cities and counties across Portland have adopted fees or bans on the bags.
