The Elgin Sustainability Commission has recommended the city implement a ban on single-use plastic bags. Elgin businesses don’t want one. Many residents, according to a poll, aren’t backing it. What the Elgin City Council will do is still up in the air.
At its meeting this past week, the council tabled discussion on the possible single-use plastic bag ban until Feb. 25 to obtain more feedback from businesses.
The ordinance under consideration would ban the use of single-use plastic bags by some retailers, who could charge customers who don’t bring their own bags a 10-cent fee for each recycled paper bag needed for their purchases.
Restaurants, convenience stores and small retailers would be exempt. People on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other assistance programs wouldn’t be required to pay the fee.
Several towns in Illinois, including Chicago, Batavia, Oak Park, Woodstock and Northbrook, already have such bans and most retailers give shoppers the option of bringing their own bags or purchasing sustainable bags at the checkout lane.
A similar ban has been under consideration by the state, meaning the council could wait for the General Assembly to act rather than adopting its own ban.
As currently written, Elgin’s proposed ordinance would affect 42 retailers, according to research done by city staff and the Elgin Development Group, Sustainability Manager Kristin Iftner told the council.
Last April, the Sustainability Commission recommended the council adopt a bag ban ordinance, prompting city staff to draft language modeled on the state bill, which is currently stuck in committee.
Before deciding whether to move forward with the ban or abandon it, Elgin officials agreed to do a survey in English and Spanish late last year to obtain feedback from residents and businesses, Iftner said.
Survey results showed 57% of the 2,185 respondents opposed a ban, 38% supported it and 5% said they needed more information before forming an opinion, sustainability coordinator Jessica VanDyke said.
“While survey results are intended to serve as a statistically representative sample of the community, they do provide valuable insight into community perceptions and recurring themes,” VanDyke said.
Common themes for those who don’t want a ban were the issues of equity, competitive disadvantages for retailers, concerns about charging for paper bags and a preference for waiting for statewide legislation, she said. Some respondents said they would shop elsewhere if restrictions were implemented in Elgin, she said.
Those who supported the ban cited a reduction in litter and plastic pollution, protection of wildlife and waterways, public health concerns, and the fact that measure aligns with Elgin’s Climate Action Plan.
Retailers say they are concerned about the added cost for customers who don’t bring their own reusable bags, which could result in some making purchases in nearby communities without bag regulations, said Tony Lucenko, Elgin Development Group director.
Lucenko asked the council to delay the discussion so more business owners could give feedback on the ordinance.
Iftner said the council could decide to defer action, allowing the issue to be revisited at some point in the future. If the ordinance is adopted, she would recommend implementation in 2027, she said.
At the council meeting Wednesday night, audience members had differing views on the proposal.
Mike Warren is a longtime business owner whose business would not be affected by a ban, but he believes the council is “charged with creating a healthy economic engine that allows our residents to live, work and play here,” he said. This ban would not do that, he said.
While he’s not diminishing climate change, Warren said he believes the ban would put the city at an economic disadvantage and cause people to shop elsewhere. Elgin should advocate for statewide legislation so everyone is on a level playing field, he said.
Cheryl Brumbaugh Hayford, however, she the local environmental groups she works with have been advocating passage of a bag ban ordinance for nine years.
“We should not wait any longer,” Brumbaugh Hayford said. “Elgin must take action on this as an independent municipality and not wait for the state of Illinois to take action for the health of the river and health of residents. Please do the right thing.”
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.