City Council Adopts Ordinance Banning Plastic Bags
At the May 12, 2008 City Council meeting, an ordinance banning the use of point-of-sale plastic bags was introduced on first reading by the Council. Originally proposed to ban only non-compostable bags, the Council directed staff to expand the coverage to include compostable plastic bags as well since there are no Southern California facilities that can recycle the compostable types.
The ordinance is scheduled come back to the City Council for second reading on May 27, 2008 and would go into effect 30 days after adoption. Local businesses would then have 6 months to one year to comply, depending on the type of business.
The ban is intended to reduce the plastic shopping bags that have been found to significantly contribute to litter and negatively impact the local environment. Empty plastic bags often become windblown, landing in local creeks, storm drains and the ocean. In addition to polluting the land and waterways, the bags pose a threat to birds and aquatic creatures that either ingest or become entangle in the bags.
For additional details, click the link below to read the City of Malibu official press release.
E-mail: jvoccola@ci.malibu.ca.us
Phone: 310-456-2489 x275