Feb 3 - Four More CA Cities Move Towards Bans on Bags, EPS
Yesterday evening the West Valley Solid Waste Management Joint Powers Agency Board voted unanimously to recommend plastic bag and expanded polystyrene (eps) container bans in four West Valley cities: Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga.
The board, comprised of an elected official from each of those cities, directed Agency staff to submit a letter to the West Valley Mayors and Managers Association recommending single-use bags and polystyrene container ordinances. Each city will then decide whether or not to take action towards passing and adopting such bans.
In addition, the board also directed staff from each member city to study the impacts of eps foam container ordinances.
It’s possible that some of these local governments, such as the City of Campbell, may adopt ordinances within the next year. Evan Low, vice-mayor of Campbell and Agency board member, was quoted as saying,
"In Campbell...there is a push to take action. The San Jose ban has been changing peoples’ behaviors, and in Campbell we had the ‘let’s wait and see’ approach, but people are starting to ask why."
San Jose’s ordinance went into effect this year after several years of outreach, research, and meetings. Staff from the nearby city, which is the largest in the nation to pass a bag ordinance thus far, has already offered up their expertise to any interested jurisdictions.
Take action on other local plastic pollution ordinances or check out our Bag Ban Tool Kit.