Could Downey be on the road to becoming a plastic bag-free city?
The City Council on Tuesday will hear a report from its city attorney about a potential ordinance banning plastic bags from retail stores, restaurants and grocery stores.
The council will decide what direction to take regarding the issue brought up by Councilman Kirk Cartozian.
A similar ban has hit some snags in other cities. The Daily Breeze reported in August that a coalition of 10 plastic retailers and manufacturers has sued Manhattan Beach for its recent ban.
In Long Beach, my colleague Paul Eakins reported that the council's Environmental Committee earlier this fall considered possible bans on plastic bags or polystyrene, such as Styrofoam, but ultimately decided not to recommend a ban on either product. The committee suggested the city promote and monitor the existing state and local plastic bag recycling programs, then evaluate Long Beach's recycling efforts in a year.
Opponents of a ban have argued a new state law meant to improve plastic bag recycling should be given time to work.
That law, AB2449, went into effect in July and requires all large grocery stores and pharmacies to provide receptacles for plastic bag recycling and to sell reusable shopping bags .
However, environmental groups and other critics of plastic bags say most bags are used once and then discarded, often entering rivers and then washing into the ocean.
About 6 billion plastic bags are used in the county every year, but only 5 percent are recycled. Collecting and disposing of plastic grocery bags costs California taxpayers nearly 17 cents per bag, which amounts to $50 million annually, Eakins reported.
Some cities have implemented their own, stricter laws governing the use of plastics, most notably San Francisco, which this year passed a law banning most types of plastic bags . The law allows only recyclable or compostable bags to be used.
The meeting in Downey will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 11111 Brookshire Ave.
The City Council on Tuesday will hear a report from its city attorney about a potential ordinance banning plastic bags from retail stores, restaurants and grocery stores.
The council will decide what direction to take regarding the issue brought up by Councilman Kirk Cartozian.
A similar ban has hit some snags in other cities. The Daily Breeze reported in August that a coalition of 10 plastic retailers and manufacturers has sued Manhattan Beach for its recent ban.
In Long Beach, my colleague Paul Eakins reported that the council's Environmental Committee earlier this fall considered possible bans on plastic bags or polystyrene, such as Styrofoam, but ultimately decided not to recommend a ban on either product. The committee suggested the city promote and monitor the existing state and local plastic bag recycling programs, then evaluate Long Beach's recycling efforts in a year.
Opponents of a ban have argued a new state law meant to improve plastic bag recycling should be given time to work.
That law, AB2449, went into effect in July and requires all large grocery stores and pharmacies to provide receptacles for plastic bag recycling and to sell reusable shopping bags .
However, environmental groups and other critics of plastic bags say most bags are used once and then discarded, often entering rivers and then washing into the ocean.
About 6 billion plastic bags are used in the county every year, but only 5 percent are recycled. Collecting and disposing of plastic grocery bags costs California taxpayers nearly 17 cents per bag, which amounts to $50 million annually, Eakins reported.
Some cities have implemented their own, stricter laws governing the use of plastics, most notably San Francisco, which this year passed a law banning most types of plastic bags . The law allows only recyclable or compostable bags to be used.
The meeting in Downey will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 11111 Brookshire Ave.
Paul Eakins reports on Long Beach City Hall, and local and regional
politics. A newcomer to the Press-
Kris Hanson reports on the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles,
covering environmental issues, economic triumphs and
pitfalls and trade trends of America’s largest port.
He also writes a weekly column “On The Waterfront”,
appearing Tuesdays, and also produces an occassional video
and column titled “On The Job,” which follows the hard-working
men and women who keep Southern California’s economy humming.
Karen Robes Meeks came to work for the Press-
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