OCEANSIDE — Oceanside’ Green Team is on a mission to share information on the environmental harm of single-use plastic bags and how the city can reduce their use.
The team has made presentations to the Chamber of Commerce, MainStreet Oceanside and homeowner associations, and will continue to present information to community groups through February.
The workshops are aimed to educate and collect community input to shape an ordinance that will best suit the city and address impacts the ban could have on small and large businesses.
Colleen Foster, city solid waste and recycling management analyst, said community feedback on adopting a bag ban has been positive, with some people asking why a ban has not already been adopted.
“There has been a lot of support,” Foster said.
The city’s Zero Waste Strategic Resource Management Plan, which was adopted three years ago, calls for a single-use plastic bag ban.
Business members of Green Oceanside Business Network got a heads up at earlier network meetings that a bag ban would be developed.
Foster said the city ban will be drafted to mirror the Senate Bill 270 state bag ban, approved in 2014.
Single-use carry out bags will be banned from store distribution.
The ban will not include small produce bags.
A bag fee of 10 cents or more, to encourage shoppers to bring reusable bags, would go back to stores to cover the cost of providing recyclable paper bags.
Stores would also be required to offer reusable bags for purchase.
“For plastic to meet the ban it needs to be able to be reused 125 times,” Foster said. “Using a bag once or twice has an extreme impact on resources and waterways.”
David Nydegger, chamber president and CEO, said news of a bag ban was well received by Chamber members.
“There were major retailers in the room who use a lot of plastic bags, and they’re good with it too,” Nydegger said. “People need to be educated. This is a good thing to do.”
Gumaro Escarcega, MainStreet program manager, said there were no objections to a bag ban from those who heard the Green Team presentation at this month’s MainStreet Morning Meeting.
The city bag ban will likely begin with large grocery stores, and may expand to include smaller stores over time. Foster said the final ordinance is up to stakeholder input.
City staff will introduce a bag ban ordinance to the Utilities Commission in February, and to City Council in March.
There are 145 California cities that have adopted a single-use plastic bag ban, including Solana Beach and Encinitas.
1 comment
Or they could just wait until the people vote on this issue in November, 2016.
What’s wrong with allowing the people to vote, and just going with what the people actually want?
If these people really have “a lot of support” then they don’t have to worry, the vote will be positive and they will get the ban they say is really needed.
But if people don’t actually support the bag ban, then they have to run around pushing their agenda and claim people suppor it to get it through the city council (like the other 100+ cities in California) WITHOUT a vote of the people. Or why not collect signatures and get it on the ballot in Oceanside?
“Oh yes, this is what the people want. That is why we are going to ram it down their throats through a city council vote rather than letting the people vote.” Makes sense, right?
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