What will the effect be on small businesses and the cost of groceries?
Giving away free bags at checkout stands cost grocers money. That’s why grocers support a ban on plastic bags paired with a mandatory charge on paper bags. This way they can recover their costs. A mandatory charge on paper bags would have a minimal cost to the consumer. For example, take a hypothetical situation where a 5-cents is charged per bag and a consumer uses 5 paper bags for $50 worth of groceries. The net cost would be 0.5% of the overall grocery bill. However, grocers right now account for the cost of giving away “free” checkout bags by including the cost of the groceries. Thus, it’s unclear whether there will be any net impact to the consumer. Oregon businesses clearly understand that whatever small sacrifice may be involved in banning the bag is outweighed by the importance of protecting our oceans. More than 300 businesses have endorsed the campaign.
