State Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, has worked for years to limit access to single-use plastic products. Oregon’s ban on plastic grocery bags will kick up a notch under a bill headed to the desk of Gov. Tina Kotek. Beginning in 2027, Senate Bill 551 will ensure that retailers and restaurants can’t offer any form of plastic bags to customers at check out.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Oregon’s ban on plastic grocery bags will kick up a notch under a bill headed to the desk of Gov. Tina Kotek.
Beginning in 2027, Senate Bill 551 will ensure that retailers and restaurants can’t offer any form of plastic bags to customers at check out.
That’s already true for most single-use plastic bags because of a bill lawmakers passed in 2019. But the law left open the option that stores could offer slightly thicker plastic bags that are considered reusable — but that critics say are often tossed.
SB 551, does away with that loophole, making bags made of recycled paper the only option stores and restaurants now have. The bill does not impact grocers’ ability to offer plastic bags for bulk goods, raw meat or some other items.
“Senate Bill 551 gets us one step closer to our goals of zero waste and breaking free from plastic,” Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, the bill’s central champion, said before a Senate vote on Tuesday. “I thank the amazing advocates that work hard on these issues every darn day. These issues mean a lot to Oregonians.”
The bill that passed the Senate on a 22-8 vote Tuesday was far more limited than a version of SB 551 the chamber passed in March.
Oregon lawmakers approved a bill would ban the use of reusable plastic bags at grocery stores starting January 2027. A 2019 bill blocked grocers and restaurants from allowing single use plastic bags at checkout but allowed an exemption for reusable bags.
Anne Ibach / OPB
Beyond banning plastic bags, that bill would have barred restaurants from giving customers plastic utensils or single-serving condiments in plastic packaging unless they were requested. And it would have blocked hotels and Airbnb providers from proactively giving guests shampoo and other products in single-use plastic containers.
But that broader proposal ran into problems in the House. Despite no organized opposition from business groups, it concerned enough Democrats in that chamber that the bill stalled.
SB 551 was ultimately narrowed to include only the bag ban in order to clear the House. The revised bill also delayed the more extensive bag ban by six months – it was initially set for July 2026.
“While we’re disappointed that the Oregon Legislature missed the opportunity to address even more sources of plastic pollution, we’re happy that it voted with bipartisan support to eliminate those wasteful thick plastic bags at checkout,” Celeste Meiffren-Swango, state director of Environment Oregon, said in a statement Tuesday.
“The main focus of this bill has always been about reducing plastic from industry to oceans,” Sollman said. “While I am disappointed to see the two sections of this bill removed, this is still a big win for the environment and especially in removing plastic waste from our coastal communities.”
The bill now goes to Kotek’s desk for approval.