Report: Arizona outlaws local plastic bag bans

Phoenix – Local communities in Arizona reportedly can no longer ban plastic bags. According to the Associated Press, the Arizona state legislature has voted to make it illegal for cities and town to forbid the use of plastic bags, as well as Styrofoam containers or other disposable products, within their limits.



The state law also restricts local communities from requiring businesses to report energy usage.



The town of Bisbee, Arizona enacted a ban on plastic bags in April 2014. Other cities including Tempe and Flagstaff had been considering banning plastic bags, as well. Florida currently has a similar state law prohibiting local plastic bag bans, and legislatures in Missouri and Texas are considering similar laws as well.



The Arizona Retailers Association and the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance supported the legislation outlawing the bans. The new law against plastic bag bans goes into effect July 2015.