Oct 9 - Davis, CA--Just One Step Away from Bag Ban Adoption

Yesterday evening, the Davis City Council introduced and unanimously approved a single-use bag ordinance that phases out all plastic carryout bags in the City by next summer. The last step is a formal adoption in two weeks.

The Council had previously directed staff to write the ordinance in early September. The proposed ordinance, which bans single-use carryout plastic bags in all retail stores and restaurants, allows the continued distribution of paper or reusable bags with a 10 cent charge per bag. Shoppers also have the option of bringing their own bags or going bagless. If adopted as anticipated on October 22, the ordinance would go into effect in July 2014.

As local governments become increasingly aware of the high costs of plastic bag pollution not only to our coastal environment but also in our storm drains, waste management sysytems, and creeks, more inland communities are taking action. Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe, and Truckee are just some examples of other non-coastal cities, like Davis, that are moving forward with plastic bag bans.

Davis, with a population of over 60,000, is home to the University of California, Davis, and located less than 30 minutes away from Sacramento.

Did you know? Roughly one in every three Californians is living in one of the 83 cities or counties that have a plastic bag ban. To get one started in your city, check out our bag ban tool kit.