11:49am | The City of Long Beach ban on single-use plastic bags will be expanded on January 1, 2012, when smaller retailers will stop distributing plastic carryout bags.
“Our plastic bag ban has been very successful in helping to reduce litter in our neighborhoods; reduce plastic debris in our waterways and storm drains; and reduce waste transported to landfills,” said Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal. “By promoting the use of reusable bags and expanding the ban, we are helping to make Long Beach an even cleaner city to live, work and visit.”
The smaller retailers include pharmacies, supermarkets, convenience food stores, food marts, and other entities engaged in the retail sale of a limited goods including milk, bread, soda, and snack foods.
To help smaller retailers prepare for the ban, the City of Long Beach has bilingual outreach and marketing materials, including customer information flyers, decals for doors or windows and counter posters. Many small retailers have already begun to eliminate the use of plastic bags.
In May 2011, the Long Beach City Council voted to ban the distribution of plastic carryout bags and approved a 10-cent per bag charge for recyclable paper bags. The first phase of the ban went into effect on August 1, 2011, and has achieved a 100 percent compliance rate for large retailers that sell food and perishable items
Long Beach is the largest city in Los Angeles County to ban plastic bags.
More information for both retailers and residents is available by visiting www.litterfreelb.org, or by contacting [email protected] or 562.570.2876.