ReduceSingleUse.org

Calabas, California Approves Plastic Bag Ban

By Mike Verespej | PLASTICS NEWS STAFF
Posted February 3, 2011
CALABAS, CALIF. (Feb. 3, 1:05 p.m. ET) -- Calabasas is now the fourth community in the United States to ban plastic bags this year, and the 19th overall, in a movement that has been growing rapidly since Los Angeles County last November adopted a plastic ban for unincorporated areas of the county that goes into effect July 1.

The bill -- which mirrors the Los Angeles County bill -- goes into effect July 1. It was approved unanimously and with no stated opposition Feb. 1 -- just one week after plastic carryout bag bans were passed in Marin County and Santa Monica. Grocers will be required to charge at least 10 cents for paper bags, which must contain at least 40 percent recycled content.

The Save the Plastic Bag Coalition has said it will sue Marin County -- but not Santa Monica -- because the county failed to conduct an environmental impact report as required by the California Environmental Quality Act before enacting its ban for unincorporated areas of the county.

The coalition has successfully prevented Manhattan Beach, Calif., from implementing its plastic bag ban that was passed in 2008 while the case -- which is now likely headed to the state Supreme Court -- is decided. Manhattan Beach has lost appeals at the Superior Court and twice at the Appellate Court level.

At least 15 other communities in California, several in Texas, and four states -- Connecticut, Arkansas, Oregon and Vermont -- are also considering legislation that would ban plastic bags. West Virginia, as well as Connecticut, is considering a five-cent tax on bags -- the only plastic bag tax in the U.S. today is in the District of Columbia.

List of cities and countries addressing the issue of single-use bags

Cities in CA that have banned plastic bags

San Francisco

Malibu

Palo Alto

Fairfax - voluntary removal of bags

San Jose

Long beach

Calabasas Feb. 3, 2011

CA cities working on it...

Santa Monica

Marin

Santa Clara

Manhattan Beach, being sued

Places in U.S. outside of CA considering ban

Portland

Maui Kauai

Brownsville TX

American Samoa

Boston

Phoenix

Baltimore

Arcata

Sunnyvale CA

Jersey City NJ

Wilton CT

Dubuque IA

Places around the world with a plastic bag ban

Italy

Mexico City

Thompson City, Canada

Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada (All single-use bags)

Thailand

Delhi, India

Mumbai, India

Karwar, India

Tirumala, India

Vasco, India

Rangoon, Burma

Bangladesh (bags have been banned since 2002)

Rwanda

Sydney’s Oyster Bay in Australia (along with twelve other towns in Australia)

Israel

Places around the world considering the ban

France

London

Places Discouraging plastic bag use

Washington DC (5 cent tax)

Madison, Wis. ( mandatory plastic bag recycling law)

Many European countries have a tax on the bag

Sources

http://plasticbagbanreport.com/countries/

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/how-many-cities-have-a-ban-on-plastic-bags.html

http://www.citiesgogreen.com/2009/10/12/banning-plastic-bags-can-it-be-done-should-it-be-done/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/24bags.html?_r=2