Murray City Considers Banning Plastic Bags, Residents Voice Opinions At City Council Meeting
May 14, 2019, 10:34 PM
MURRAY, Utah — If the ordinance is passed, Murray City would be the third Utah city to ban one-time use plastic bags.
City council member Diane Turner said it was an idea she wanted to propose to the city’s residents after experiencing the benefits of such a ban on a trip overseas.
“I was in Italy when I was charged for a bag and it got me thinking,” Turner said. “I did more research and saw other cities in the country were doing something like this.”
The ordinance would ban all businesses in city boundaries from using plastic bags and instead use recyclable, reusable or compostable bags.
“The hope is that we change behavior and that people are much more aware of the impact of plastic bags and that they go to alternatives,” Turner said. “They get caught in our waterways, they impact our landscape.”
Turner said she realized it could inconvenience some residents and proposed a six month moratorium to help them ease into the new idea.
Will Murray become Utah’s third city to ban plastic bags? At 10:00, residents voice their opinions on the proposed ordinance. Hear from supporters and those who have concerns with the idea @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/5CXKpJdZ11
— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) May 15, 2019
“We don’t expect everyone to change overnight — you know, no one likes doing that,” she said. “A grace period will be helpful.”
Tuesday night, Murray City residents had a chance to voice their opinions on the proposal.
Resident Kat Martinez said she supported the proposal because she and her family find plastic bags littered all over the city.
“There are alternatives,” Martinez said. “I want us to show the rest of the county how we can do this.”
Resident Bill Strong said he opposed the ordinance.
“If you pass this ordinance I guarantee you I will shop elsewhere I will not support Murray businesses,” Strong said.
The city council plans to use all public comments as input as they look to make a decision on the ordinance in the next couple of months.
