Jun 26 - Nevada City Joins Growing List of Inland Cities with Bag Bans

Yesterday evening the Nevada City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance to phase out single-use plastic grocery bags in all retail stores.

The ordinance, which brings the current count of local bag bans to 111 in California, allows paper and reusable bags to be sold for a minimum of ten cents each. It goes into effect on January 1, 2015. Some exemptions to the plastic bag ban (e.g. produce bags, gift bags, nonprofit stores) will apply. Restaurants are currently not covered.

Nevada City is located 60 miles northeast of Sacramento in Nevada County. It is the first city to adopt a bag ban in the County, following the Town of Truckee which adopted a bag ban in November of 2013. Local environmental activists are currently working on bag bans for Grass Valley and Nevada County.

Congrats to the City for its environmental leadership! Plastic bag pollution isn't just a coastal issue, and costs millions for communities across the state in cleanups. Other inland communities that have taken action to address the issue include the Cities of South Lake Tahoe, Davis, Chico, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, and Desert Hot Springs.

Learn more about the statewide proposal to tackle plastic bag litter: SB 270.