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Nov 09, 2024

Bozeman voters are ready to say goodbye to single-use plastic bags

Unofficial results from Gallatin County are in, and they indicate Bozeman voters want to make plastic bags at checkout counters a thing of the past. More than 14,000 Bozeman residents voted in favor

Unofficial results from Gallatin County are in, and they indicate Bozeman voters want to make plastic bags at checkout counters a thing of the past.

More than 14,000 Bozeman residents voted in favor of establishing a plastic ordinance banning single-use plastic bags and polystyrene foam packaging in the city, with approximately 63% of votes cast in favor of the measure.

“We’re excited,” said Terry Quatraro, an organizer with Gallatin Valley Beyond Plastics, one of the groups that worked to get the measure on the ballot. “This is a huge win, and it’s not just for Bozeman. It’s a win basically for all of the whole United States.”

Quatraro said something that’s unique about this initiative is that it was completely community-led, unlike similar measures in other cities that were enacted by local governments.

Groups including Gallatin Valley Beyond Plastics, Valley of the Flowers Project and Cottonwood Environmental Law, in addition to community volunteers worked to collect enough signatures to get the initiative on the ballot.

But it was an uphill battle for organizers, who faced uncertainty about whether the measure would make it onto ballots just days before they were printed, due to questions of whether the signature count would be determined by general or special election standards.

But they prevailed, and Quatraro said she is glad to see the initiative receiving support across the political spectrum.

“We can’t look at the good and the health of community members as something that’s political,” she told NBC Montana.

The initiative aims to avoid the pitfalls of similar bans such as those with loopholes allowing customers to purchase single-use plastic bags at checkout or permitting retailers to distribute thicker plastic bags intended for reuse, things that will not be sanctioned under Bozeman’s plastic ordinance.

Quatraro hopes Bozeman will serve as a role model for other cities both across the country and right here in Montana, including Billings and Missoula, where similar measures have been considered.

“I think the other cities and states are looking at Bozeman right now with a keen eye to see how this plays out,” said Quatraro.

The plastics ordinance is set to go into effect next May, after which retailers will no longer be permitted to offer products in polystyrene foam packaging or provide customers with single-use plastic bags at checkout.

Exceptions to the ban include non-handled bags for produce and other loose items such as grains or coffee, in addition to plastic straws and stirrers, which may remain available upon customer request.

Retailers in violation of the ordinance will be subject to fines of up to $1,000 for an initial violation and fines of up to $2,000 for each subsequent violation.

Quatraro estimates the measure will keep upwards of 15 million plastic bags out of the landfill annually.

“It's not going to solve the problem 100%, because some plastics are necessary, but the fact of the matter is it will eliminate single-use plastic bags in the city of Bozeman,” said Quatraro. “That’s a huge, huge step.”