The Lawrence City Commission decided to place a ban on single-use plastic bags in August 2023 with City Ordinance No. 9996. The prohibition was originally set to be implemented on Jan. 1, 2024, but after the city commission decided on a six-month introductory phase, the date was moved back to Friday, March 1.

Through the removal of these types of bags, the commission hopes to encourage businesses and individuals to utilize more sustainable containers rather than polluting the environment with more trash.

Violators of the ban could face fines ranging from $100 to $500; however, the city budget for the ban did not include the funding to hire new enforcement officers at the start. If allowed to go through, the ban would rely on later approval of a compliance officer to make sure that businesses are adhering to the prohibition.

Currently, Lawrence is the only city in Kansas that has chosen to place a ban on plastic grocery bags with a close  3-2 vote for the ordinance.

Though, the Kansas state legislature is again considering a bill that would effectively disallow the ban. For years, ordinances like this one have been proposed, but House Bill 2446 is the first time that it is being considered when a city is enacting a ban on a form of single-use plastic simultaneously.

According to “The Topeka Capital Journal” the bill has already passed through the Kansas House with a 72-51 vote last year and is now being considered for full addition. If this bill is adopted, Lawrence would have to remove the latest ban on plastics, and other cities in the Kansas area would have difficulty invoking any similar prohibitions.

Lawrence Commission member Bart Littlejohn noted the importance of the city’s ban.

“We’re excited by this ordinance and our community’s ability to improve the long-term health of our natural environment by switching to reusable bags,” Littlejohn said. “This work matters for our commitment to environmental sustainability, and we want to help make the change as easy as we can for our community.”

Moreover, environmental science teacher Julie Schwarting gave her thoughts on the ban, mentioning how she and some others feel that the argument for Bill 2446 is flawed.

“As a community, we voted to have a ban on plastic bags, and now the state is saying that we are not in control of our own community,” Schwarting said. “And their reasoning is that it would inconvenience the manufacturers and the businesses, but they really didn’t give any details about who is going to be inconvenienced.”

Refer to kslegislature.org for more information on bill 2446, and Lawrenceks.org for more on Lawrence’s plastic bag ban.