Ordinance limiting plastic bag usage to be considered by Cheyenne City Council

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CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Cheyenne City Council is considering an ordinance that will limit plastic single-use carry-out bags.

“The City of Cheyenne has the responsibility to protect the economy, natural environment andhealth of its citizens and guests and single-use plastic bags create waste, pollute the city’swaterways, roadways, landscapes and harm wildlife populations,” the ordinance states.

If the ordinance passes, no retail establishment will be able to provide or distribute a single-use plastic bag to any customer. Only reusable bags, paper grocery bags or cardboard boxes can be offered at checkout to a customer. The establishments will also be encouraged to make reusable bags free or for sale at checkout counters and to provide boxes for use at checkout counters free of charge.

If a customer wants to use a plastic bag, they will be charged an environmental service fee of 10 cents per bag. If an establishment violates these rules after having received a written warning by the city’s Compliance Department, they will be guilty of a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of $100. Each day of a continuing violation will constitute a distinct and separate offense, the ordinance states.

Cheyenne isn’t the first to consider, or potentially enact, the plastic bag ban. In July 2019, Jackson Hole in Teton County became the first Wyoming city to pass an ordinance banning grocery stores from using single-use plastic at checkout. Similar ordinances have been proposed in Green River in Sweetwater County.

The ordinance will undergo a first reading by the the Finance Committee during its Aug. 21 meeting.

Cheyenne’s proposed ordinance, in full, can be viewed below: