- checking login information
Loading...San Jose Bans Plastic Bags!
- Megan Zehnder
- December 15, 2010
- 2:15 pm
- 137 comments
Justice has been served to a wildlife killer and polluter in California’s Bay Area.
San Jose has banned plastic bags with an ordinance that passed on Tuesday. San Jose, now the largest city in the U.S. with this enforcement, will bring the ban to effect on January 1, 2012. Retailers will no longer be able to offer plastic bags to consumers and will be obligated to charge 10 cents for paper bags.
About one million plastic bags end up in the Bay Area and harm birds, fish and other animals, and damage wetland habitats. “This is a great step,” said Councilman Sam Liccaro to a San Jose Mercury news reporter. “It’s an opportunity to lead on an important environmental issue.”
Retailers will still be allowed to supply plastic bags for produce, meat, or bulk foods. It also does not affect the sale of sandwich or trash bags.
The ban does not apply to restaurants and nonprofit secondhand stores like Salvation Army.
Similar measures have been approved in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Oakland, Malibu and Los Angeles County.
Related Links:
Plastic Bags: They Just Don’t Make Sense
Cut Plastic Out of Your Life
6 Ways to Make Reusable Bags Even Greener
Read more: Conscious Consumer, Do Good, Green, Nature & Wildlife, News & Issues
Megan Zehnder
Megan is an editor and producer for Care2's Healthy Living. Her main priorities are to live simply and build meaningful relationships with the people in her life. She loves to write and talk about environmental issues, healthy living, and women's rights. Beyond that, her interests change daily, but eating and cooking vegetarian food is always a favorite.
-
Mexico City Bans Bags: 6 Ways to Join In
130 comments -
Ban Plastic Bags – Crochet A Reusable One
89 comments -
Reusable Goods Giveaway!
263 comments
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
I live in an apartment so very rarely do the apartments need one :)
This "article" is really an advertisement. There are good ways of buying shoes which use no leather…
Insect totems are VERY powerful medicine!
REAL SAD seems to be coming more common their answer to just shooting all the bears simple EASIER th…
WOOD! Wood is the best to grill with! Wood is renewable, quick to light, and can be easy to cook …
137 comments
+ add your ownGret news!
thanks.
Thank you
More more more!
Go SJ, only 6 months to go!
I agree with Jose
wow would love to see this in my community.
GREAT news, baby steps are better than any... CONGRATS to San JOse.
Way to go San Jose! Small steps now we need to get the rest of the country to follow suit.
I wish we could go back to using paper bags like we did many years ago.
login to add your comment
use your care2 login
add your comment
20