No Bag Fee...For Now

The Village of Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission had an idea - charge 5 cents per plastic bag to shoppers in the village to cut down on plastic bag use. But after about 25 residents and business owners came to an informational session on Feb. 3 and expressed concern, the commission is taking the topic back to its own members.

“The next step is really the commission is going to digest the feedback they received,” Al Stonitsch, Glen Ellyn Assistant Village Manager said in a later interview. ”They now have some ample public input.

“Originally, what we were proposing to do would have been to bring it before the village board on the 16th - a Monday. ”It’s not going before the village board now, The Environmental Commission is going to take a step back.

According to a story in the Suburban Life, business owners were concerned about the impact this would have on local businesses since the fee would apply only to those in village limits, not in neighboring towns.

Stonitsch said that was one of the concerns.

“The business owners were just concerned about turning off some current customers and some future customers for charging for plastic bags,” he said Friday.

Business owners were also concerned that the fee, which could apply to paper bags as well as plastic, would impact their marketing.

“A lot of those paper bags for those businesses are critical marketing tools,” Stonitsch said.

The Environmental Commission next meets at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 17 at the Civic Center,

535 Duane Street.