Coastal Blog — Bag Bans
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.
June 13 2011
A Bill Whose Time Has Come…And Will Come Again
Nothing symbolizes the Plastic Age and our disposable, throwaway culture more than the single-use plastic bag. How many of us have drawers or closets full of these colorful bags that we don’t know what to do with? And how often do we see these toxic tumbleweeds blowing in the wind,…
June 13 2011
Oregon’s Statewide Bag Ban Fails To Make It Out Of Committee
Building upon the great efforts led by the Portland Chapter over the past three years to ban single-use plastic checkout bags within the City of Portland, Senators Mark Hass and Jason Atkinson, and Representatives Ben Cannon and Vick Gilliam introduced SB 536, giving Oregon the opportunity to be the first…
June 13 2011
California Legislators Address Marine Debris With SB 568
Even though AB 1998 failed to pass out of the Senate last year, legislators are currently working to address another prevalent form of plastic pollution - Polystyrene Food Containers, with the introduction of SB 568.
May 18 2011
Keep It Up California!
Good news on the plastic pollution front: the City of Long Beach passed a carryout bag ordinance last night that will ban carryout plastic bags at supermarkets, large pharmacies and farmers markets within city limits. Meanwhile, SB 568 to ban styrofoam at restaurants sits in the state senate and ready…
May 12 2011
It’s a whale of a problem.
As debates go on about reducing plastic bag usage in many places marine life continues to suffer. An alarming story recently came out of Puerto Rico regarding a Gervais beaked whale death while across the pond some high profile people are raising awareness.
