Santa Cruz County imposes plastic bag ban for restaurants
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance Sept. 13 that bans all retailers, including restaurants, from distributing plastic bags. The ordinance goes into effect in six months.
Retailers will only be permitted to distribute paper or reusable bags and must levy a store charge of 10 cents per paper bag the first year, increasing to 25 cents the second year, to incentivize people to bring reusable bags. However, the ordinance will allow foodservice establishments to provide paper bags at no cost.
Retailers, including restaurants, must keep annual records of paper bag distributions and provide independent certification that the paper carryout bags being distributed are from 40 percent post-consumer recycled fiber. The ordinance applies to the unincorporated parts of the county only. Cities within the county would need to pass a city ordinance.
By including restaurants, this law extends beyond what other jurisdictions have passed. The California Restaurant Association raised concern with the potential for cross contamination posed by reusable bags and urged the county to consider the food safety risk involved, and argued that restaurants should have the freedom of choice to determine what type of bag works best to maintain the integrity of their product.
Click here to read the ordinance and staff report.
For more information, contact Amalia Chamorro, local government affairs director, at 408.416.6344 or achamorro@calrest.org.