Elgin asks residents to weigh in on potential plastic shopping bag ban

Elgin is asking residents to provide feedback on a potential citywide ban on the distribution of single-use plastic checkout bags.

A survey that will remain open through December asks community members and business owners if they would support or oppose a local ordinance that bans plastic bags and places a 10-cent fee on paper bags at checkout.

“Engaging the community early in the process is important,” Kristin Iftner, the city’s sustainability manager, said in a message to residents. “We want to hear from as many community members as possible, including residents, local business owners and large retailers, before any recommendation moves forward.”

The city’s Sustainability Commission brought the issue to the city council in April. The council, in turn, directed city staff to draft an ordinance that mirrors an Illinois Senate bill introduced by Sen. Cristina Castro of Elgin. If passed, SB 1872 would prohibit retailers from offering single-use bags to consumers starting in 2029.

Under the draft ordinance, the ban and fees would apply to retail establishments larger than 5,000 square feet. Restaurants, small nonchain retailers and pop-up shops would be exempt. There are also exceptions for bags for frozen foods, flowers, bakery goods, and several other items.

The fees, which would be a minimum of 10 cents, would be retained by the retailer. SNAP, WIC, and similar food assistance program recipients would be exempt from paying the fee.

While a handful of suburban communities, including Batavia, Chicago, Northbrook, Oak Park and Woodstock, have implemented fees on single-use plastic bags, Evanston is the only town to ban them.

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington all have statewide bans on single-use plastic bags.

At the time, many of the council members said they would prefer a ban on plastic bags over a fee.

“I said a couple of years ago, I thought if you wanted to solve the problem, you have to ban the problem,” Mayor David Kaptain said during the April 23 meeting. “If you put a fee on it, it allows people to buy their way out.”

A webpage with full details on the ordinance and a link to the survey is on the city’s Engage Elgin website at engage.elginil.gov/single-use-bags.

Paper copies of the survey and ordinance are available through December at The Centre of Elgin, city hall, Hawthorne Hill Nature Center, and the main branch and Rakow branch of the Gail Borden Library.