Solana Beach and Watsonville Vote To Ban Bags

now 45 cities have banned bags

Environment California

“Solana Beach and Watsonville are all too familiar with the negative effects of plastic pollution,” said Dan Jacobson Legislative Director for Environment California. ““We know that plastic shopping bags constitute a major part of our urban waste stream.  They cost local government millions of dollars in clean up and disposal expenses.  They foul the environment and endanger marine wildlife.  This ban is a crucial first step in solving the problem, and Environment California supports the board’s decision today,” said Jacobson.

“Solana Beach and Watsonville are part of the grassroots movement that is getting plastic out of the ocean”, said Angela Howe, Legal Director of Surfrider. “As surfers and people who love the water we can’t wait for Sacramento to act. We are taking the protection of our ocean into our own hands and working with local cities to ban bags.”

For the past two years California municipalities have voted to ban single use plastic bags.  For the complete list see the end of this release

Plastic pollution is becoming an increasing threat to marine life.  267 species are negatively affected by plastic every year. The Guinness Book of World Records name the plastic bags the most ubiquitous consumer product in 2009.  The North Pacific Gyre, 1,000 miles off the coast of California, is the convergence point for what has become swirling plastic soup leaking into our eco-systems and food sources.