Nov 23 - The Latest on "New" Bag Bans in San Francisco and Seattle
For those who have been following and/or are interested in the fate of the San Francisco and Seattle bag ordinances, here’s a quick update: Seattle’s second attempt at a bag ordinance was introduced earlier this week on Monday, and San Francisco’s Board vote to expand its groundbreaking ordinance has unfortunately been delayed until early December.
San Francisco
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors was scheduled to vote on its expanded bag ordinance this past Tuesday, but the vote has been delayed until the next Board meeting on December 6 to consider recent amendments. The current ordinance was the first in the nation to ban plastic bags in 2007.
Take action and urge the Supervisors to support this expansion, which increases the number of stores covered and seeks to reduce paper bag and reusable bag waste with a minimum 10 cent charge, by CLICKING HERE.
Read more in an article.
Seattle
The City of Seattle passed a bag ordinance in 2008 only to be overturned after the plastic industry spent $1.4 million on a successful voter referendum. Amidst the plastic industry’s outcry that Seattle was now moving too fast (really? picking up an ordinance after 3 years is too fast?!), the new ordinance’s champion Council Member Mike O’Brien happily reported that it has support from a majority of council members as well as grocers. The proposed ordinance bans plastic bags and places a 5 cent charge on paper bags, and is modeled after a recently passed ordinance in nearby Bellingham.
Read more in the Seattle Times or listen to a radio clip.
Take action and sign the petition in support of the ordinance by CLICKING HERE.
Thanks to all who have already sent in letters of support or signed the bag petition. For other actions on local plastic pollution ordinances, visit our website.
(photo credit: R. Hamilton, the Oregonian)