ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – Friday is the deadline for Mayor Tim Keller to either sign or veto the plastic bag ordinance, due to the Albuquerque City Council repealing the ban earlier this month. The ordinance has been a back-and-forth thing since its inception, leaving many people and businesses alike throughout the community waiting to see what comes next.
The plastic bag ban originally went into effect in 2020, after councilors approved the measure to help the environment. Councilors had different reasons to repeat the ban this year.
“To me, this is a regressive tax on the poor, if you buy 60 dollars worth of groceries and you need 3 bags at 10 cents apiece, then you spent 30 cents,” said District 3 City Councilor Klarissa Peña. “The tax that poor people are having to pay is higher than the tax being proposed for the one-eighth reduction.”
KRQE surveyed three different large grocery store chains such as Albertsons, Walmart, and Smiths. Each had different takes on what their plans were moving forward.
At the Albertsons on 6200 Coors Northwest, KRQE was told their corporation has said to still give out plastic bags instead of paper.
Over at the smith’s on Golf course Road near Paseo Del Norte Blvd Northeast, they are still handing out paper bags and told KRQE they don’t know yet when they’ll switch to plastic again as they are waiting for corporate orders on what to do next.
Across the street at the Walmart Neighborhood Market, they said they will also continue to use paper bags until corporate sends them a notification of change.
As far as what shoppers think, KRQE spoke with many people who didn’t want to go on camera, but who expressed they were ready for it to be repeated, citing difficulties with the strength of the paper bags.
“For some folks, people utilize those, I was just the other day there on central and you see people with the paper bags,” said Pena. “The paper bags are tearing so for some populations those are important, those are important for their use.”
The mayor may veto the measure, but with six councilors voting in favor of the repeal they would likely be able to override the veto.
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