Los Alamos County seeks feedback on proposed plastic bag ban
Residents can weigh in July 16 on a draft bag ban that would force Los Alamos retailers to ditch single-use carryout bags and shift checkout routines countywide.
Los Alamos County is asking residents to weigh in on a draft Single-Use Plastic Carryout Bag Ordinance that would change how many local stores hand out bags at checkout. The Environmental Sustainability Board will take public input on July 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the county is also accepting comments by email before the hearing.
The proposal is aimed at retail establishments inside county jurisdiction, so it would reach beyond a symbolic policy statement and into day-to-day shopping habits at places such as Smith’s Marketplace in Los Alamos and the White Rock store. County materials say the draft is intended to reduce litter, cut waste sent to disposal, encourage reusable alternatives and advance the county’s sustainability goals. The ordinance draft also says single-use plastic carryout bags do not biodegrade, can persist in the environment for hundreds of years and may break down into fragments that contaminate soil and water.
The county tied the proposal to its Climate Action Plan, which the County Council adopted on November 12, 2024. County planning materials say that climate plan grew out of work by the Los Alamos Resiliency, Energy & Sustainability Task Force in 2022 and is meant to guide efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The bag ordinance draft says the measure may reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and fossil-fuel use, support a circular economy and align with that plan.
The council sent the issue back to the Environmental Sustainability Board on April 7, 2026, directing it to return within 90 days with a ban proposal informed by other New Mexico programs. Local coverage of that meeting said the council voted 6-1, with Councilor David Reagor in opposition. That same reporting said Council Chair Randall Ryti pointed to Smith’s Marketplace as a major source of plastic-bag distribution, estimating the Los Alamos store hands out about 2.1 million bags a year and the White Rock store about 800,000.
Los Alamos has been down this road before. County records show the effort began in 2015 with a citizen petition to ban single-use plastic bags and impose a 10-cent fee on paper bags. After public meetings and surveys, 80% of respondents opposed a ban and 72% opposed reducing distribution, and the Environmental Sustainability Board recommended education over regulation. County and local reporting also show the council later considered a mandatory bag fee but decided not to pursue it.
The current proposal lands as New Mexico lawmakers continue to debate the issue statewide. House Bill 392, introduced in 2025 by Reps. Tara L. Lujan, Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Stefanics, Andrea Romero, Jeff Steinborn and Patricia Roybal Caballero, would have barred retail establishments from providing single-use plastic bags, with exceptions for loose produce, meat, fish and sanitary or public-health uses. Legislative records show the bill was postponed indefinitely in 2025. Santa Fe County has already moved ahead, adopting Ordinance 2024-06 on March 26, 2024, with a ban that took effect September 23, 2024 in unincorporated county areas.
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