El Paso City Council is considering banning plastic bags.

El Paso residents could become more reliant on reusable cotton and paper bags when heading out to the shops, after a ban on plastic bags was considered earlier this week.

The city council voted on Monday to explore prohibiting the shopping bags or perhaps tacking a fee on to their use, El Paso Times reports.

In the meantime, it was agreed that El Paso City Council would continue to encourage the public to recycle their plastic bags rather than dumping them or disposing them after only one use.

These were the sentiments agreed on after a special meeting was called to discuss how to reduce environmental strains caused by the city's growing rubbish problems.

This included what could be done to clean up certain areas and prevent plastic bags from clogging up vital storm drains.

Following lengthy discussions, the council unanimously voted to educate the public about its plastic bag recycling program, however, members were each tasked with looking into a potential ban or the introduction of fees.

Speaking to the newspaper, north-east city republican Carl Robinson said: "At this point we are continuing to support citizens of El Paso to recycle their plastic bags."

According to city representatives, the issue will be revisited in several months time to see whether more drastic action is needed to improve the situation.

Another idea discussed by council members was deposits placed on recycled plastic bags, a suggestion which was put forward by the public.

Across the US in areas such as Austin and California, single-use plastic bags are facing strict bans, meaning retailers either have to offer paper bag alternatives or charge their customers for each bag they need.

In the UK, Wales has introduced levies, while Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to follow suit over the next year.