BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
The three members of the Los Alamos County Environmental Sustainability Board Plastic Bag Working Group, Erik Loechell, Shannon Blair and Jack Grow, are set to present the County’s proposed single use plastic bag ordinance to the entire Board this evening for their review and input. During the April 7, 2026, Los Alamos County Council directed the ESB to return within 90 days with a proposal for the ban informed by other programs in New Mexico.
Th draft ordinance may be viewed here:
https://losalamos.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15689178&GUID=36426FBB-D33E-4F27-B4D7-B63428EEDBAA
The final ESB recommendation will be presented to Council on August 4, 2026.
Regular attendees and followers of County Council meetings since 2015 will recall a citizen petition requesting a plastic bag ban and the 10 cents bag fee. Following two public meetings and an Open Forum survey in which 80.1% of participants opposed a plastic bag ban and 72.2% opposed reducing the distribution of single-use bags, the ESB recommended education rather than regulation, and Council took no further action.
A second citizen petition came to Council in 2019, this time asking for plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam to be banned. In response Council instead focused on waste reduction initiatives including public education, reusable school food service items, and food composting.
The agenda package for this evening’s meeting includes a very comprehensive history of the interest in and actions taken regarding the issue:
https://losalamos.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15689181&GUID=F9230955-D2C4-4678-8B88-BF258D0DC852
Then in 2025, with the issue continuing to be bounced back and forward in the community, Council asked the ESB to “evaluate single use plastic bags to include factors such as ability to recycle and other alternatives and cost to County to recycle and engagement to include local businesses and other interested parties.” In October 2025, the ESB presented its findings to Council and asked for further direction and guidance on community engagement.
In May 2026, the ESB reported that they had developed a draft ordinance and submitted it to County Attorney J. Alvin Leaphart for review and revision.
What’s Everyone Else In New Mexico Doing?
Las Cruces implemented its ordinance in 2021, excluding laundry dry cleaning bags, door-hanger bags, newspaper bags, or packages of multiple bags intended for use as garbage, pet waste, or yard waste, bags provided by pharmacists or veterinarians to contain prescription drugs or other medical necessities, bags used by restaurants to take away prepared food, bags used by a consumer inside a retail establishment to: a. contain bulk items, such as produce, nuts, grains, candy, or small hardware b. contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, or fish, ontain or wrap flowers, potted plants or other items to prevent moisture damage to other purchases, or contain unwrapped prepared foods or bakery goods; and bags used by a non-profit corporation or other hunger relief charity to distribute food, grocery products, clothing, or other household items. The ordinance includes a 10-cent fee.
Santa Fe City in 2015 imposed $0.10 Environmental Service Fee with 10% of fee to be retained by the retail establishment for administrative costs. Bernalillo County imposed 5 cents in 2019. Taos placed a 10-cent fee in 2020 to be retained by the collecting business for administrative costs.
More information may be seen on the charts provided in the presentation for the meeting at https://losalamos.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15689180&GUID=692CD2C1-02FC-41A6-B13A-92902AC167F8
What Is The Public Feedback On The Issue?
To read public feedback received as of July 13, go to:
https://losalamos.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15689179&GUID=23B814F8-98BB-4F56-A4ED-45904549C879