Jan 11 - Capitola & Colma Adopt Bag Bans, Effective This April

On Earth Day 2013, stores in many California cities will be newly rid of the ubiquitous plastic bags that litter our environment and contribute to the nearly $500 million each year spent in litter cleanups and mitigation efforts.

Colma and Capitola recently joined the list of local bag bans. Both cities adopted separate ordinances this week after approving the first readings of the ordinances last month.

Colma, a small city in San Mateo County south of San Francisco, adopted the County's Reusable Bag Ordinance by reference on Wedneday evening. The ordinance bans plastic bags and places an initial 10 cent charge per paper or reusable bag, starting April 22, 2013. It applies to all retail stores.

Capitola, a Santa Cruz County jurisdiction with a population of just under 10,000, adopted a ban on plastic bags with an initial 25 cent charge per paper bag on Thursday. The city council first approved the ordinance on December 13. The ordinance goes into effect in all Capitola stores in three months.

See the full list of adopted ordinances--banning plastic bags in 60 cities or counties.