Coastal Blog — Bag Bans
May 14 2012
Hawaii Becomes the First State in the U.S. to Ban Plastic Bags!
When the Mayor of Honolulu signed into law the plastic bag ban on May 11, Hawaii became the first state in the nation where every county is covered by a plastic bag ban. This was not done by the state legislature, but instead by all four County Councils - a…
May 14 2012
Will your reusable bag make you sick?
Nope – but any inanimate object could potentially carry a virus, germs, bacteria or mold. A recent report from Oregon documented norovirus virus was transferred on a bag of groceries that was being kept in a hotel bathroom. The report stressed that the carrier could be any inanimate object or…
April 11 2012
Phone In To Help Hawaii Reduce Plastic Bag Pollution
Hawaii stands poised to pass the nation's first statewide Bag Bill (HB2483). The bill would reduce the consumption of single-use plastic and paper bags through a small fee, and revenues from the fees would help fund watershed protection. Over the last four years, the coalition of supporters has grown to…
March 23 2012
Superior Court Upholds Los Angeles County Bag Ban
Legal Rise Above Plastics Bag Bans
In a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing today, Judge James C. Chalfant upheld the County of Los Angeles ordinance to impose a single-use plastic bag ban with a 10-cent fee on paper bags.
March 02 2012
The Plastic Bag Dominos Continue To Fall
It's been a good week for the environment as more cities embrace meaningful plastic bag reductions. (For a list of ineffective plastic bag reductions, see yesterday's blog post) In Southern California, Laguna Beach finalized their plastic carryout bag ban while Carpinteria and Ojai passed first readings of their own bag…
March 01 2012
Voluntary Plastic Bag Reductions Don’t Work
As carryout plastic bag usage in the United States soars over 100 billion (115 billion now by one estimate), more cities and states are looking at ways to reduce litter and the impacts of plastic bags. Bag recycling programs have been set up across the country but as bag recycling…
February 22 2012
Plastic Videos
One of the coolest parts of the Rise Above Plastics program is sharing some of the video projects that activists work on. Check out these great efforts from Marty Benson in San Diego County and Joanna Priestley/Create Plenty in Portland, OR.
January 23 2012
Stiv on Bag Ban Campaign Planning
I recently caught up with 5 Gyres Communications and Policy Director / Surfrider activist Stiv Wilson to get some of his insight on planning for a successful plastic reduction campaign. Stiv has a wealth of knowledge from sailing in three of the five gyres to being one of the many…
January 11 2012
Another One Bites The Dust - SLO Bag Ban Passes!
San Luis Obispo County County Integrated Waste Management Authority had a 'super vote' for the first time in their history and a super majority of board members passed one of the first countywide plastic bag bans in the U.S. This one covers both the unincorporated areas and all incorporated cities…
January 09 2012
Ban The Bag on Portlandia
Cheers to the Surfrider Foundation Portland Chapter for making such an impact with their successful Ban The Bag campaign that it landed on the Independent Film Channel's hit series Portlandia! It's a funny show and this is a great parody on petitioning. New episodes Fridays at 10, check your cable…
December 19 2011
What does a 3% increase in violent crimes have to do with a plastic bag ban?
Nothing, it's just a scare tactic. In advance of the Seattle City Council vote on a plastic bag ban for the city that passed 9-0(!), a major plastic bag manufacturer started running an opposition ad in Seattle newspapers that could be described as scare tactics. Why else would they include…
November 30 2011
BWTF Students Paddle Out for a Bag Free LA
Blue Water Task Force Youth Rise Above Plastics Bag Bans
The Heal the Bay Surfrider Club at Santa Monica High School organized a paddle out to bring attention to the bacteria and plastic pollution that heavy rains in October brought to their beaches. Read their press release.
November 14 2011
Don’t cave in to corporate pressure!
Over the past few weeks it appears that big corporations are flexing their wallets to help stamp out some plastic reduction initiatives. It started when a lightly viewed 'Refuse Plastic' PSA featuring last season's American Idol finalists was targeted. Next, a major plastics manufacturer poured money into small town plastic…
October 18 2011
Portland Bag Ban Takes Effect - Bring Your Bag!
This past weekend the much publicized plastic carryout bag ban took effect in Portland, Oregon. After the state legislature failed to act on a statewide bag bill, San Adams and the Portland City Council acted quickly to establish a local ordinance they have been working on for years. The Surfrider…
September 12 2011
How much does it cost to clean up plastic bags?
Listed by Guinness World Records in 2010 as the 'Most Ubiquitous Consumer Item', many people view plastic carryout bags as free but there are hidden costs that can affect us all. First, it cost the stores money to purchase any type of bag they are giving you. Some stores view…
August 08 2011
Can you help stop plastic pollution?
The Surfrider Foundation recently released the 'Rise Above Plastics Activist Toolkit' to help Surfrider Foundation Chapters and everyday activists plan plastic reduction initiatives at home, work and in your community. It's a great resource guide that provides insight on the dangers of plastic pollution and how one person can help…
July 21 2011
Portland is next as the plastic dominos start to fall
Earlier this month news came out of Washington that the City of Bellingham banned plastic bags and put a fee on paper bags. Last week a similar story is coming out of Portland, Oregon. After state legislators failed to act on SB 536 this year, which would have enacted a…
July 13 2011
Bellingham Washington ‘Rises Above Plastics’ and Reduces Carryout Plastic Bags!
Four months after initially presenting an ordinance to Bellingham City Council members to reduce single-use bags, on July 11th, the Bellingham City Council voted 7-0 in favor of the ordinance to ban carry out plastic bags and implement a 5 cent fee on brown paper bags starting July 2012. This…
June 13 2011
Virginia’s Five-Cent Fee Fails To Gather Support
The 2011 legislative session in Virginia featured three proposals to limit plastic bag use: an outright ban, a 20 cent fee on plastic bags modeled on Ireland’s ordinance, and a five-cent fee on plastic and paper bags as used in neighboring Washington, DC. The Surfrider Foundation’s DC Chapter, as part…
June 13 2011
Maryland’s Proposes Five-Cent Fee On Disposable Plastic And Paper Bags
The Surfrider Foundation and their coalition work together to collect more than 5,000 signatures from Maryland residents to support a five-cent feel on disposable plastic and paper bags.
