Santa Monica to consider plastic bag ban AND paper bag tax

Forget "paper or plastic." Santa Monica residents might soon be hearing "paper, period -- and you'll have to pay for that." That's right -- If the Santa Monica city council takes its staff recommendations, both plastic AND plastic-like biodegradable bags will be banned, as will non-recycled paper bags. Paper bags with more than 40 percent or more post-consumer content would be allowed -- but you'd have to pay a tax for them.

Santa Monica's bag ban and tax initiative comes on the heels of L.A. county's less-than-successful anti-plastic-bag effort, which ended up being neither a ban or a tax, but simply just a voluntary reduction measure. That result disappointed many L.A.-area environmentalists. But now, the "Ban the Bag" fight's gone to individual cities -- and Santa Monica's considering one of the toughest measures at its city council meeting next Tuesday.

The Santa Monica city staff recommends drafting a tough ordinance to ban and tax bags. Here's the skinny on the staff's recommendations:

• No free bags, period. The point is to discourage one-use bags and encourage reusable bags.
• Plastic bags banned at all retail locations in the city.
• Biodegradable one-use bags banned at all retail locations in the city, because these bags "present many of the same environmental litter and marine environment problems as plastic bags."
• Paper bags that contain old growth fiber, or are not 100% recyclable, or contain less than 40% post consumer recycled content banned at all retail locations.
• Recyclable paper bags that contain at least 40% post consumer recycled content AND don't contain any old growth fiber allowed FOR A FEE.
• All affected stores must provide reusable carryout bags for sale and, with assistance from the City, promote their sale and use.

To be clear, this bag and tax ordinance, once drafted and passed, would apply only to bags at the point of sale (at the cash register). The ban and tax would NOT apply to those flimsy bags in the produce or bulk items section, for example.

Enviro-group Heal the Bay has put together a fact page on the many benefits of getting rid of the plastic bag. The group's also mobilizing enviro-activists to show up to the city council meeting:

When: Tues., February 19. Council proceedings begin 7 p.m.; Consideration of bag measure estimated to begin 8 p.m.
Where: Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main St., Santa Monica

Even if the city council votes with the staff recommendations, the ban / tax won't happen anytime soon; this council meeting would simply allow for the drafting of an ordinance. Once drafted, the ordinance needs to be passed -- and staff recommends at least a 6-month transition period before the ordinance is allowed to take effect.

Santa Monica peeps -- Be there! To help you prep, here's the Santa Monica City Council Agenda, and the details of the city staff's recommendations on the anti-plastic bag ordinance.

Top photo by Siel; bottom photo courtesy of envirowoman

Comments

[m]

I know this may be like beating a dead horse or way too early in the game, but it's kinda weird that I rarely see people really honestly addressing some of the darker sides of "reusable" bags only. I know there have been a few posts here about "what do i do without plastic bags?", but I think there is still more than that....

-To get themselves in the habit of using reusable bags, some people just keep on buying reusable bags at the store until they start remembering them. The idea is that if they keep on buying them and it keeps on biting them in the pocketbook, they eventually will remember to bring their own bags. In some instances people have purchased on the upwards of 25 reusable bags before remembering to bring their own from home! This is bad unless you have a huge family or are giving them away to others or plan on holding onto them for the rest of your life until they are worn out.

-The really cheap bags (made from polypropylene) that many stores are selling are well... cheap. I've seen these bags with holes in them after relatively few uses or accidentally scraping them on concrete. I've never seen one of the "recyclable" reusable bags end up in the recycling bin. The bins that accept plastic bags in the front of stores do not accept polypropylene bags. How many times would someone have to reuse these bags before it is environmentally effective to use those bags instead of "disposable" bags? Does it not matter as much since sea creatures don't see them as a tasty treat? I guess I am interested in knowing if someone has done a study like the one about reusing ceramic mugs verses paper and styrofoam cups.

-What sorts of materials are people using for their reusable bags? I have a reusable bags made from old plastic bags. I also have reusable bags made from not so earth friendly materials. From what I've read, the polypropylene bags are recyclable, but not recycled. Plus, like plastic bags, they are made from oil. These seem to be the most frequently used reusable bags.
-Is it really earth friendly to import bags from China and other countries? I don't know where the plastic bags that people use now come from, but many reusable bags I have seen so far are from China.
-A pretty common (re)usage for plastic bags appears to be tossing away "wet" trash -- like food. While this is easier for people with compost piles and green bins to deal with, is there any plan for an equivalent program for apartment buildings? Could there be some sort of encouragement put into place for apartment buildings to start compost bins? This seems like it would solve some issues and even if you stuff your wet food trash into a wrapper-bag or produce bag, it's not going to end up decomposing, so it's still adding to the trash pile.

I guess my feeling is that if the switch over to non-disposable bags is going to happen, it should be done right -- not in a way that leads us back to some of the same problems we were trying to get away from.

[Scott]

Are you for the new biodegradable / recylable produce bags?

[Browne]

What about all of the driving going on in Santa Monica? All of the parking lots, Santa Monica isn't that big. Why can't the people who live there not drive, while in the neighborhood. The SM's Big Blue bus seems (from my outsider perspective) seems to run very well and if it doesn't, possibly the efforts spent on this symbolic measure could be spent on a more real effort of getting people in Santa Monica to stop driving and take the bus or ride a bike for shopping errands.

Browne

[Sternberg]

Paper bags use enormous amounts of energy, chemicals, and water. They might degrade, but are also a food source for roaches and are the major means by which those bugs enter most homes.
Plastic uses an oil byproduct that was once left to be discarded. They use much less chemicals, water or energy, and are actually very sanitary. They do end up in land fills, but are no more a hazard to the environment than the rocks that get buried along with them.

[Laylah]

Paper bags for a fee? Guess I'll be shopping for my food, clothing and other merchandise in the City of L.A. So will other shoppers. That will make many Santa Monica retailers happy.
Where's the logic here. Using lots of small plastic bags for produce is okay, but a single bag to cart it all away is not.
Nazi Santa Monica strikes again

[hari iyer]

Santa Monica ought to consider ramification on their order. If someone brings their own cloth bag they are only going to purchase what they absolutely need, not what they want. It means impulse buying goes by, by. It will effect the city's coffer or for that matter overall sales tax outcome for the state and the city.

Politicians who have too much time on their hands.

[Doug]

This is a great write up! It has long beeen my prediction that like the "hippy movement" in the 1960's the bag movement would start in San Francisco....work its way down the coast then shoot east to the other coast! So far my prediction has been right on!

The bags We make are 90 and now only 100gsm polypropylene! I serously have broken 1 bag in the past year! Other than that I do have some from some huge chains in here that are just junk! Nonetheless though still better than paper and plastic!

Ohh lastly! glad to read about your townie bike......I persoanlly have a black one and I ride it to work at least 3-4 days a week! 5 miles each day! Mine is black and I ride it along the beach all the time! Just a great bike i tell ya!

Sincerely,

Doug Lober
Pres
ReuseThisBag.com

[Roxanne]

I have to say it really discourages me when I see some of these comments. We have turned into a society whose only concern is for convenience. I mean no wonder we are in the situation we are currently in with the environment. No body wants to be even just a teeny-tiny bit put out of their way. From using a reusable bag to taking public transportation, we really have turned into a want it all and want it now society. Maybe we can all just try. Try to use reusable bags, you may really like it, you also may like the feeling that you are now part of the solution and not part of the problem.

[Ingrid]

I think the bag credit will be better. Ralphs & Whole Foods already give out 5 cent credit if you use your own bag. The stores in Santa Monica can do the same or copy Trader Joes & offer a chance to win a $25 shopping credit at the store. If you have any other ideas, please let me know.

[Maraya]

What? Ingrid? And you the vocal environmentalist? Seriously, is it going to kill the people of Santa Monica to pay an extra few cents for a bag at the boutique?

I do hope the good council members follow their staff's advice and tax the paper bag. How long have stores been using the bag credit, and how often does it work? Forever and hardly ever, respectively. The few people who feel like being 'good' are having such a microscopic impact. Only rules and fees will reduce our waste by any meaningful measure.