Sunset Valley City Council voted to ban certain types of carryout bags during its Feb. 19 meeting.

The Sunset Valley ordinance is similar, but not identical, to the City of Austin's single-use carryout bag ordinance, which takes effect March 1. The Sunset Valley ordinance is scheduled to take effect Sept. 1.

Prior to City Council's vote, Mayor Rose Cardona voiced her support for the ordinance, saying it would be foolish for the council not to pass it.

She said that if the City of Austin was able to regulate single-use bags, Sunset Valley—an environmentally conscious city with a Tree City USA distinction and a light pollution reduction rebate program—should be able to regulate them as well.

In Sunset Valley, the mayor only votes to break ties. City Council approved the ordinance by a 4–0 vote. Councilman Jeff Burdett was absent.

Differences between ordinances

On Nov. 13, Sunset Valley City Council asked city staff to prepare an ordinance and conduct public hearings on the issue, according to background documents.

Carolyn Meredith, Sunset Valley environmental services manager, told City Council that single-use plastic bags are problematic for Sunset Valley because they cannot be recycled through curbside recycling, are not biodegradable and damage recycling equipment.

The Sunset Valley ordinance does not specifically exempt temporary vendors, such as those at the Sunset Valley Farmers Market. Farmers market vendors can use paper bags, according to city staff. Vendors selling exempted items such as meat or baked goods could still offer the single-use bags.

The key differences between the City of Austin and Sunset Valley ordinances are as follows:

In Austin, paper carryout bags must have handles. In Sunset Valley, handles are not required.

In Austin, medical bags from pharmacists or veterinarians are exempt from the ordinance but must be recyclable. In Sunset Valley, medical bags are not included in the ordinance.

In Austin, bags used by nonprofits or other hunger relief charities to distribute food or other household items are exempt from the ordinance. In Sunset Valley, that exemption isn't included because there are no hunger relief organizations in the city.

Prior to adoption, City Council edited a line in the ordinance to include a hardship variance form.