Ocean Beach Officials Back Ban On Plastic Bags

Aired on KPBS 12/3/13  By Erik Anderson

 

The Ocean Beach Town Council is joining the chorus of calls for a ban on single-use plastic bags.

SAN DIEGO — Ocean Beach officials have determined nearly 500 million single-use bags are handed out in San Diego every year and they think it's time to change course.

The Ocean Beach Town Council passed a resolution supporting a citywide ordinance that severely limits single-use plastic bags.

The community organization said a ban is inevitable in the city of San Diego and likely will be approved next year.

Town Council President Gretchen Kinney Newsom said Ocean Beach is a progressive community and residents worry about the environmental impact of the single-use bags because the bags foul water and land. Kinney Newsom hardly considers the resolution controversial.

"I'd say this is trending to become reality in all of California," Kinney Newsom said. "Over 78 California municipalities have enacted similar ordinances banning or restricting the use of plastic bags, and it's a very common action of a shopper at a grocery store to carry their own plastic bags."

The San Diego City Council is considering eliminating the use of plastic bags at big box retailers and grocery stores. City officials are expected to vote on an ordinance early next year.

California lawmakers are also considering a statewide measure limiting the use of the bags. A vote on that bill could also come after the first of the year.