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Las Cruces reviews four years of plastic bag fees, proposes broader uses for remaining funds
Summary
City sustainability staff reported a decline in paper‑bag purchases and proposed expanding permitted uses of the 5¢ city fee to support broader climate and equity programs; staff will return with ordinance language in December.
City sustainability staff told the Las Cruces City Council on Nov. 10 that the city’s plastic bag ordinance has reduced single‑use bag purchases and that staff will return in December with red‑lined ordinance language to give the city more flexibility in how the 5¢ fee portion retained by the city can be used.
Molly Carrier (Sustainability co‑op) presented year‑4 data through quarter 3 and projected 2025 revenue at about $174,000 (based on current quarterly returns), noting the grocery sector accounted for roughly 72% of fees and retail about 25% in the most recent year. Carrier said the program’s quarterly average since January 2022 is roughly $45,500, which would annualize to about $180,000 per year; she also estimated the program corresponds to roughly 3.6 million paper bags a year at current purchase rates.
Jenny Hernandez (Sustainability Officer) summarized how the city has spent fee proceeds to date: initial and…
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