Soldotna residents adjust to new plastic bag ban

KENAI, Alaska (AP) – Soldotna residents have had a month to adjust to a new ban on single-use plastic bags.

The Peninsula Clarion reports that stores can sell paper bags or offer them for free to customers under the local ordinance that prohibits some bags.

Some plastic bags are still allowed. They include bags used for produce, frozen foods and bulk items, as well as newspaper and dry cleaning bags.

Soldotna City Manager Stephanie Queen says the city heard from many people the first week the law went into effect.

Before the ban’s enactment, the city distributed reusable plastic bags to key retailers.

Other Alaska cities with similar bans on single-use bags include Wasilla, Bethel and Cordova.