SLO LIfe Without Plastic Bags
By Krista Chandler
The perennial grocery bagger’s question, “Paper or plastic?” has not been uttered in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., since October of 2012.
The countywide ban of single-use, disposal plastic bags went into effect after many cities and counties across Calif. introduced legislation against their use.
The ban applies to single-use plastic bags at supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and big-box stores across the county.
At the time, the county was the fifteenth municipality in Calif. to enact a plastic bag ban.
Plastic bags were first introduced to society in the 1970’s as a cheap, sturdy, lightweight and easy-to-carry solution for toting items out of retail stores. According to National Geographic, today, plastic bags account for four out of every five bags to leave a grocery store. Every year, 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags end up in various landfills or “trash islands” around the world.
The plastic bags are not biodegradable, meaning that once they are on Earth, they will never break down and decay, leaving them on land and in oceans forever.
“They don’t deteriorate,” said Andrew Seeley, a San Luis Obispo citizen. “Instead of making them out of something that’s biodegradable, they just make them out of plastic. It takes years for that plastic to start breaking down, and even then, it never really goes away.”
In an effort to reduce the waste, the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority passed an ordinance with an 8-5 vote in January of 2012 to eradicate plastic bags from the county by that October.
San Luis Obispo County is now one of 88 municipalities in California to enact a ban on one-use, disposable plastic bags, and affects about 375 stores in the county.
Countywide, retail stores affected by the prohibition posted signs warning customers to bring their own reusable bags up to six months prior to its initiation.
“We knew the ban was coming,” Scott Anderson, owner of a Shell gas station in Pismo Beach, recalled. “We used [all our plastic bags] up and then switched to paper before it started.”
Deryl Clark, a Home Depot employee, remembers when the ban went into effect, and how his store prepared customers. “There were displays, there were posters, and signs everywhere [in the store].”
Citizens of San Luis Obispo County today can be seen in shopping centers around the county with their reusable bags in hand.
“Now, we have to educate out-of-towners who don’t know about the ban,” Anderson reported.
As part of the ordinance, customers who do not bring their own reusable bags have the option of paying 10 cents for a paper bag. Some choose to carry their items out without any bags and put them directly into their cars.
People across San Luis Obispo County argue that this ban is one of the many beautiful attributes of the area. It has cut down on pollution and waste across the county.
Citizens and businesses across San Luis Obispo county were asked to reflect on the ban almost three years after it went into effect and how it has affected the city, county, and themselves personally.
A shopper outside of TJ Maxx explained, “Initially it was a pain. But now I carry around reusable bags or pay for the paper bags to use for recycling.”
On Oct. 1, 2012, the day the ban went into effect, local Target stores handed out complimentary reusable bags. They also offered a five-cent discount to those who elected to use reusable bags, instead of pay the 10 cents for paper bags.
Although for many it was inconvenient at first, the citizens of San Luis Obispo County have generally adapted to the change and now even welcome it.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Seeley stated. “I come from a place where you’re allowed to have plastic bags and stores hand them out by the dozens – no, hundreds – and you see them everywhere. Here in SLO, you don’t see a plastic bag anywhere.”
Gordon Wyatt and his wife, of San Luis Obispo, say that for them, the ban was a great thing. “I did vote for it,” confirmed Gordon. “I was already using reusable bags.”
Many believe that a statewide ban is coming as improvements to the environment of the county can already be seen in the absence of plastic bags.
San Francisco, Calif., was the first major city to enact a plastic bag ban in the nation in 2007, leading cities and counties across the country to follow suit. Legislation against single-use plastic bags in Calif. has been denied several times over the years, but in 2014 a law was finally passed.
The law would ban single-use plastic bags across the entire state, and was to be brought into effect in July 2015. However, opponents of the law gathered enough signatures to put the ban into a referendum and now the state must hold a public vote.
Citizens across San Luis Obispo County agree that the plastic bag ban has been a positive thing for the county and adds to the beauty of the Central Coast.
“Now, we would just like to see the state follow our example, so that the entire state of California can be plastic bag free like SLO county,” concluded Conrad Evans.
The countywide ban of single-use, disposal plastic bags went into effect after many cities and counties across Calif. introduced legislation against their use.
The ban applies to single-use plastic bags at supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and big-box stores across the county.
At the time, the county was the fifteenth municipality in Calif. to enact a plastic bag ban.
Plastic bags were first introduced to society in the 1970’s as a cheap, sturdy, lightweight and easy-to-carry solution for toting items out of retail stores. According to National Geographic, today, plastic bags account for four out of every five bags to leave a grocery store. Every year, 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags end up in various landfills or “trash islands” around the world.
The plastic bags are not biodegradable, meaning that once they are on Earth, they will never break down and decay, leaving them on land and in oceans forever.
“They don’t deteriorate,” said Andrew Seeley, a San Luis Obispo citizen. “Instead of making them out of something that’s biodegradable, they just make them out of plastic. It takes years for that plastic to start breaking down, and even then, it never really goes away.”
In an effort to reduce the waste, the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority passed an ordinance with an 8-5 vote in January of 2012 to eradicate plastic bags from the county by that October.
San Luis Obispo County is now one of 88 municipalities in California to enact a ban on one-use, disposable plastic bags, and affects about 375 stores in the county.
Countywide, retail stores affected by the prohibition posted signs warning customers to bring their own reusable bags up to six months prior to its initiation.
“We knew the ban was coming,” Scott Anderson, owner of a Shell gas station in Pismo Beach, recalled. “We used [all our plastic bags] up and then switched to paper before it started.”
Deryl Clark, a Home Depot employee, remembers when the ban went into effect, and how his store prepared customers. “There were displays, there were posters, and signs everywhere [in the store].”
Citizens of San Luis Obispo County today can be seen in shopping centers around the county with their reusable bags in hand.
“Now, we have to educate out-of-towners who don’t know about the ban,” Anderson reported.
As part of the ordinance, customers who do not bring their own reusable bags have the option of paying 10 cents for a paper bag. Some choose to carry their items out without any bags and put them directly into their cars.
People across San Luis Obispo County argue that this ban is one of the many beautiful attributes of the area. It has cut down on pollution and waste across the county.
Citizens and businesses across San Luis Obispo county were asked to reflect on the ban almost three years after it went into effect and how it has affected the city, county, and themselves personally.
A shopper outside of TJ Maxx explained, “Initially it was a pain. But now I carry around reusable bags or pay for the paper bags to use for recycling.”
On Oct. 1, 2012, the day the ban went into effect, local Target stores handed out complimentary reusable bags. They also offered a five-cent discount to those who elected to use reusable bags, instead of pay the 10 cents for paper bags.
Although for many it was inconvenient at first, the citizens of San Luis Obispo County have generally adapted to the change and now even welcome it.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Seeley stated. “I come from a place where you’re allowed to have plastic bags and stores hand them out by the dozens – no, hundreds – and you see them everywhere. Here in SLO, you don’t see a plastic bag anywhere.”
Gordon Wyatt and his wife, of San Luis Obispo, say that for them, the ban was a great thing. “I did vote for it,” confirmed Gordon. “I was already using reusable bags.”
Many believe that a statewide ban is coming as improvements to the environment of the county can already be seen in the absence of plastic bags.
San Francisco, Calif., was the first major city to enact a plastic bag ban in the nation in 2007, leading cities and counties across the country to follow suit. Legislation against single-use plastic bags in Calif. has been denied several times over the years, but in 2014 a law was finally passed.
The law would ban single-use plastic bags across the entire state, and was to be brought into effect in July 2015. However, opponents of the law gathered enough signatures to put the ban into a referendum and now the state must hold a public vote.
Citizens across San Luis Obispo County agree that the plastic bag ban has been a positive thing for the county and adds to the beauty of the Central Coast.
“Now, we would just like to see the state follow our example, so that the entire state of California can be plastic bag free like SLO county,” concluded Conrad Evans.
How Does the Community Feel About the Plastic Bag Ban?
Blogger Robert G asks SLO locals how they have been affected by the plastic bag ban.
What do you think? Tell us how you feel about the plastic bag ban.