Glen Ellyn considering fee for shoppers who want paper, plastic bags

Shoppers who want to use a plastic or paper bag may soon have to pay a fee at some Glen Ellyn businesses.

The village's environmental commission has drafted an ordinance calling for some retailers to charge their customers a fee of not less than 5 cents per disposable bag when they check out.

The charge would be applied to both plastic and paper bags. Some materials would be exempt, such as bags used before the point of sale to wrap flowers or meat.

The proposed bag fee would apply to retailers, convenience stores and grocers, but not to restaurants, "temporary vending establishments," or vendors at farmers markets, garage sales and other temporary events.

"The environmental commission is concerned about the number of paper and plastic bags that end up in landfills, especially plastic bags, as they're not biodegradable," administrative intern Justin Keenan said.

Commission Chairman Adam Kreuzer said the intent of the ordinance is to increase awareness about the "indiscriminate" use of plastic bags and the resulting environmental impact.

"We've heard from other members of the community, other residents, about concerns they have about plastic bags and their effect on the environment," Kreuzer said.

Keenan said the commission also is trying to promote the use of reusable bags.

The ordinance will be discussed at a village board workshop in February.

Kreuzer said the money collected from the proposed bag fee would go back to the stores.

"The village would not derive any income from this whatsoever," Kreuzer said. "This is not a tax."

He said the commission is addressing other options besides the suggested ordinance, including drafting best practices for businesses and patrons with respect to plastic bags and recycling materials.

Jill Foucré, the owner of Marcel's Culinary Experience in downtown Glen Ellyn, said she opposes the proposal and that her store's bags are an important marketing tool.

"I want people walking down the street with Marcel's bags," Foucré said. "It's an important part of our brand, it's an important part of our marketing, so I'm not going to take that tool out of my hands.

"If that's what everybody's experiencing in downtown Glen Ellyn when they're shopping, that every place they go they have to pay five cents for a bag, that is not what we want customers to be feeling when they come to Glen Ellyn," Foucré said."We're trying to become a destination, we're trying to get more people to shop down here."

The commission will hold an information session about the ordinance at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Glen Ellyn Civic Center.