July 14 - Pleasant Hill Introduces Plastic Bag Ban

The city of Pleasant Hill unanimously approved the introduction of a plastic bag ordinance at town council meeting on July 7th, 2014. The ordinance bans single-use carryout plastic bags and puts a 10 cent charge on paper bags in all grocery stores, retail stores, and restaurants. The 10 cent charge is subject to increasing to 25 cents at the discretion of the town council.

Two main exemptions to the ordinance include: fee waivers for residents recieving government food aid, and the exemption of small protective bags, such as those for produce, meat, dry cleaning, or perscriptions.

The ordinance is scheduled for final adoption on August 4th, and will become operative six months later. If adopted, Pleasant Hill will be the 7th city in Contra Costa County with a plastic bag ordinance.

Learn more about a state-wide solution: SB 270 The State Bag Bill

Photo Credit:oregon live