Apr 22 - Over A Dozen Local Bag Ordinances Take Effect on Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!

Today, fourteen communities in California will celebrate Earth Day with less plastic bags entering the waste stream, as their plastic bag ordinances take effect today.

Through the leadership of San Mateo County, the cities of Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Bruno and South San Francisco have all adopted local ordinances banning single-use plastic bags. The substance of their ordinances is similar: prohibit the distribution of single-use plastic bags and allow a small charge for paper or reusable bags.

Find out more about the local ordinances here.

To catch the rest of the state up with the 74 communities that already have a ban on single-use plastic bags, Senator Alex Padilla has introduced SB 405.

SB 405 would ban single-use plastic bags in grocery and drug stores statewide and allows the sale of paper or reusable bags. Senator Padilla and a group of environmental and business leaders, including CAW, spoke at a press conference on Monday. The bill passed out of Senate Environmental Quality Committee on Wednesday, April 17 by a 5-3 vote, and now moves on to Senate Appropriations on April 29.

You can watch CAW Executive Director Mark Murray and other supporters testify before Senate EQ here. The discussion begins at 59:39.

Help us keep the momentum going! Find out more about CAW’s Campaign to End Single Use Plastic Bags and Take Action by sending a Support Letter to your Senator.