Passed by voters this month, the ban goes into effect next May, barring a potential legal challenge.
By Isabel Hicks Montana Free Press
Bozeman city officials and grocery stores are hammering out the details of a ballot initiative banning single-use plastics after voters overwhelmingly supported it.
The Bozeman Plastics Ordinance passed by 63% on Election Day, with some 18,800 Bozemanites voting in support and 10,800 voting against. The initiative bans establishments from providing single-use plastic carryout bags, styrofoam containers and packing materials, and makes plastic straws and stirrers only available upon a customer’s request.
The ban goes into effect May 1, 2025. The ordinance also charges the city with providing educational materials reminding people to bring reusable bags and enforcing the ordinance, with a $1,000 fine for the first violation and a $2,000 fine for subsequent violations.
The ordinance faced several hurdles to get on the ballot, and its critics say its broad, vague language makes it subject to legal challenges.
Takami Clark, spokesperson for the city of Bozeman, said it was too early to answer questions about outreach to establishments, plans for enforcement and associated costs for the city. She highlighted the resolution the city commission passed in 2022 declaring support for banning single-use plastics.
“The City of Bozeman is preparing to assist as described in the ordinance,” Clark said in an emailed statement. “We are currently in the midst of researching the ordinance and mapping out our next steps, and we will be prepared to share more information on our involvement as we get closer to the effective date of May 2025.”
Travis Frandsen, president of Town and Country Foods, said the three stores in Bozeman will start preparing for the plastics ban after the holidays. He also is waiting for city officials to give direction about what exactly to phase out. In addition to plastic bags, plastic deli containers and cutlery will go away, he said.
While TNC fully supports the change, alternatives to plastic historically tend to cost more and not work as well, Frandsen said. Plastic is just so cheap it makes sense it became so popular, he said.
TNC offers customers cardboard boxes, and plastic or paper bags to carry groceries, Frandsen said, and plastic bags are by far the most common choice. He said the plan is to focus on boxes so as not to skyrocket paper bag use. The stores will also push customers to remember their reusable bags, likely through signage, and potentially have a bin of reusable bags available for people who do forget.
“We’ll know more once we get into 2025,” Frandsen said. “But that it did pass by so much, that definitely tells us that it probably won’t be as problematic as it could have been once it goes into place,” Frandsen said.
Rory Sandoval, general manager of the Bozeman Co-op, applauded the plastics ban. The co-op stores haven’t used plastic bags in over 10 years in an effort to reduce waste, Sandoval said. Their to-go containers and cutlery are also compostable.
While the new law won’t impact the way the co-op does business, Sandoval said he hopes other stores look to them as a role model for plastic reduction.
Still, the ban has received pushback, with some saying it will be subject to legal challenges.
