PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The Providence City Council has given initial approval to an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags in the city.

The Retail Plastic Bag Reduction Act prohibits retailers from distributing plastic check-out bags, unless they can prove a qualifying exemption. The Providence Journal reports the proposal still requires a second approval from the council before it can become law.

The council passed a similar ordinance last year, but Democratic Mayor Jorge Elorza vetoed the bill saying he felt it needed more community input.

Unlike the 2018 ordinance, the latest measure doesn’t require retailers to charge a fee for replacement bags.

Providence’s recycling rate has perennially been among the worst in the state. In 2016, the city recycled only 8.6 percent of its waste.