A Honolulu City Council committee on Wednesday advanced a new plastic-bag ban proposal that stakeholders from both the small business and environmental communities promise to support.

The latest version of Bill 59 (2016), approved unanimously by the Council’s Public Works, Infrastructure and Sustainability Committee, allows thicker bags to be distributed at the checkout counter through Jan. 1, 2020.

But from July 1, 2018, until Jan. 1, 2020, retailers would have to charge a minimum of 15 cents for each of the thicker bags, which are made of plastic that is at least 2.25 thousandths of an inch thick.

A final vote of the full Council is expected July 12.

Representatives from the Retail Merchants of Hawaii and the Hawaii Food Industry Association joined a spokesman for the Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club Hawaii Group in supporting the latest plan, proffered by Public Works Chairwoman Carol Fukunaga.

“I think globally, what this set of clarifications-definition seeks to accomplish is to distinguish this type of bag from this other type of bag and really to make clear that the retailers have been willing to accommodate the full-on ban by allowing for a transitional period,” Fukunaga said.

A ban on the distribution of plastic bags at retail checkout counters has been in place since July 1, 2015. But environmental groups have decried a loophole that allows bags thicker than 2.25 thousandths of an inch, and argued that the thicker plastics pose a greater hazard for sea animals and the environment than the thinner ones.

The full Council had been poised at its June 7 meeting to approve one of two proposals — one by Fukunaga allowing thicker bags to be distributed indefinitely, but for a fee of 10 cents each; and another by Brandon Elefante calling for an all-out ban by 2018. But neither version mustered sufficient support and the bill was sent back to Fukunaga’s committee.

Tina Yamaki of the Retail Merchants of Hawaii testified that the extra time will allow retailers to use up their existing supply of plastic bags. “We’re seeing a lot of stores closing,” Yamaki said. Moving away from plastic bags may play a role because “it is a huge cost to retailers,” she said.

Stuart Coleman of the Surfrider Foundation said environmental groups would have preferred an earlier end to plastic bags, but “we are willing to support this current (draft) just as long as we have a complete phase-out of all plastic bags and that we have a good definition of that.”