By Lookout Staff

August 27, 2010 -- Santa Monica, along with Manhattan Beach and Los Angeles County, vowed on Thursday to move ahead with laws banning plastic bags if a measure fails in the State Legislature.

Authored by Santa Monica Assembly member Julia Brownley, the Single-Use Bag Reduction Act (AB 1998) would ban the distribution of single-use plastic bags, already has been approved by the state Assembly and is expected to be voted on by the Senate before the end of the month.

If the State does not impose a ban, the Santa Monica City Council is scheduled to consider a proposed ordinance on October 12 that would prohibit all retail establishments within city limits from providing single-use plastic carry out bags to customers.

It also would create a Green Fee for each paper bag distributed by grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies in the City. The ban, however, exempts restaurants from the ban, allowing them to provide plastic bags for take-out food.

“The City Council has given clear direction on this issue," said Dean Kubani, director of the city's Office of Sustainability and the Environment. "They are concerned about the impacts on our neighborhoods, beaches and oceans from trash, and the costs to dispose of plastic debris.”

The ordinance is meant to significantly reduce the environmental impacts related to single-use plastic and paper carry out bags, and to promote a major shift towards reusable bags, according to City officials.

City staff is scheduled to complete a report on the proposed ordinance and recommend a level for the Green Fee by mid-September.

"The City Council has given clear direction on this issue. They are concerned about the impacts on our neighborhoods, beaches and oceans from trash, and the costs to dispose of plastic debris."
   Dean Kubani
   Sustainability and   Environment