Malibu Bans Single-Use Plastic Bags
Los Angeles Daily News Photo/Evan Yee
Malibu seems to be ahead of the pack on the Ban The Bag issue. Probably because a large amount of trash, most of which is plastic ends up at the beach. The Malibu City Council voted unanimously Monday night to ban retailers from distributing single-use plastic shopping bags within city limits.Malibu's bag ban is the most aggressive action to date on plastic bags by any Southland city, and will apply to all retailers, from grocery stores to small boutiques. It forbids the distribution of both plastic and compostable carryout bags.
Grocery stores, food vendors, restaurants, pharmacies and city facilities have six months to comply with the ordinance. Smaller sized retailers have one year.
"The city of Malibu should be commended for taking decisive action to protect the environment and improve residents' quality of life," said Sarah Abramson, Heal the Bay's director of coastal resources. "Hopefully other cities are taking notice and now realize that the writing is on the wall for plastic bags."
This is one of my causes and pet peeves. The damage that single-use plastic bags cause is well documented. It's cost the taxpayers, the environment and the entire planet. It's one of the easier things to change in your life. Jump on the bandwagon, get off the plastic bags and use reusable shopping bags.
If any of you would like to see the impact of plastic and other trash on our beautiful beaches. Stacy and I are hosting our second beach cleanup on June 6 at Zuma beach from 11 to 1. All are welcome, just send me an email at roxanne.kotzman@dailynews.com and let me know you want to help. More info on the cleanup will come shortly, you still have time.
Much thanks to Heal The Bay.
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About this blog
Roxanne Kotzman is a Daily News Photo Department veteran of nine years. When she and longtime friend Stacy Long
discovered their love all of all things environmentally responsible, they launched Happy Monkey Planet and jumped head-first into the vibrant eco-community.
Wow, so much to learn! But initially the idea is a pretty simple one: Let's change the world through information, education and action.
Rox & Stacy are a lot like you: ecologically minded but sometimes just plain overwhelmed when charged with the task of making a far-reaching difference in the environment. They have jobs, families, homes, lives and pets.
But what if doing better was a simple as a light-bulb change, a reusable canvas grocery bag, recycling that soda can or a cold-water wash?
These eco-chicks just hope to have a little fun, learn a little more, share a lot of information and maybe make the planet a happier, greener, cleaner place.
Three cheers for Malibu!!!
I second the "pet peeve" comment... this is right up there with cigarette butts to me!
Why can't L.A., or better yet California, ban these killer bags?
Good luck with the beach cleanup - thanks for being a steward of our wonderful beaches. :-)
We were born and raised in Southern California so this is a welcome move by Malibu City Council. I am confident more cities will follow their lead. After all, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the harmful affects of plastic waste. All you need now is a stylish reusable bag...