(Roberto E. Rosales/Journal)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. After more than a year of dormancy, Albuquerque’s plastic bag ban will be back in force Aug. 1.
City officials confirmed on Wednesday they would resume enforcement of the Clean and Green Retail Ordinance later this summer due to New Mexico’s improving health outlook.
Mayor Tim Keller had used his emergency powers to halt enforcement of the ordinance in March 2020 due to COVID-19. The ordinance had only been in effect about three months at the time.
Keller said in announcing the suspension that grocers requested the reprieve and that the move could help make for a more efficient checkout process. The suspension was supposed to last 30 days, but the mayor has repeatedly extended it during the pandemic.