Support a Plastic Bag Ban in Los Angeles County

Target:

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

Sponsored by:

Help encourage the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to take immediate action on a staff-proposed plastic carryout bag ban.

An estimated 19 billion plastic bags are used in California each year, with more than 6 billion plastic bags used in L.A. County alone. Designed for single-use, they foul our public spaces and put added pressure on scarce landfill. Worse, less than 5% of plastic bags consumed in California are recycled. Instead, they become part of the plastic-dominated litter stream, where they damage already weakened watersheds and threaten marine life.

The Board of Supervisors recently decided to indefinitely postpone consideration of a staff report that makes strong policy recommendations to significantly reduce or eliminate plastic-bag litter throughout the county. A wide variety of interested parties, including plastics and grocery associations, participated in the drafting of the staff report. Months of considerable research, analysis and stakeholder input led to clear-headed proposals to either implement an outright ban or a phased ban if recycling proves unsuccessful.

We need concerned citizens to show their support to make L.A. County the next to follow San Francisco's Plastic Bag Ban! Urge the Board of Supervisors to show their commitment to the environment by scheduling the issue for prompt public discussion.

It's simple and easy. Sign this petition today to urge the Board of Supervisors to make this a priority!

Help encourage the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to take immediate action on a staff-proposed plastic carryout bag ban.

It's simple and easy. Sign this petition today to urge the Board of Supervisors to make this a priority!

Dear Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors:

I am writing to encourage you to show your ongoing commitment to the environment by allowing the public to comment on the staff report's recommendations on the ban of plastic carryout bags throughout Los Angeles County. To be effective, this ban must not rely on delay tactics, such as waiting for local plastic bans to be adopted throughout the County before taking County-wide action.

An estimated 6 billion plastic bags are used each year in Los Angeles County, which is equivalent to 600 bags per person per year. Millions of barrels of oil are used each year in the United States to manufacture plastic bags. Designed only for single-use, these bags have a high propensity to become litter and take up valuable landfill space. Plastic bag litter threatens wildlife and degrades the environment, and unfortunately, these bags are seldom recycled.

To tackle the plastic bag litter problem, public agencies collectively spend millions of dollars each year on clean-up, enforcement, and prevention. Unfortunately, despite this effort, plastic bags remain ubiquitous in the environment, partially because of careless consumer treatment of single-use plastic bags and also due to the difficulty associated with their clean-up. A comprehensive plastic bag ban will help leverage the funds already spent by Los Angeles County to comply with these regulations and provide additional litter reduction at a minimal cost to the County.

The urgency for local government to take action has never been greater. The legacy of our growing addiction to single-use plastic packaging will be felt in the environment for years to come. Banning plastic bags in the County of Los Angeles will help enhance the County's recreational and tourism economy, improve the quality of life for residents, free valuable landfill space, and restore our environment to a clean and healthy state.

I urge you to join forces with other California cities, like San Francisco, and help make California a national leader on this issue and expeditiously open the staff report's recommendations up for public comment.

Thank you for your consideration,

[Your name]
[Your address (City/County, Country)]

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The Plastic Bag Ban in LA petition is now closed. Thank you so much for being one of over 3,000 individuals that signed this petition!

But if you live near LA, there's an even more important way to make your voice heard. Join hundreds of us and wear RED to attend a rally on Tuesday, January 22nd between 12pm and 2pm.

Details at www.healthebay.org/baghearing.

For the past nine months, with your help, Heal the Bay has been advocating to curb the County's 6 billion bag per year plastic bag addiction.

Now, the LA County Board of Supervisors is threatening to weaken aggressive reduction goals to curb plastic bags that had been agreed upon earlier this week. The agreement as of Tuesday with several Board of Sups' offices was that reduction/recycling efforts must reach 35% by 2010 and 70% by 2013; and if not -- the Board would consider a bag ban.

Today, January 18th, we found out the County is proposing to FURTHER reduce those goals. It's a sad day when we have to look to China for environmental leadership.

Please wear RED and attend a rally on the stairs outside the Board of Supervisors hearing room, and attend the hearing to make them take the RIGHT action.

Visit www.healthebay.org/baghearing for details on the January 22, 12pm to 2pm event.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!!!!

Heal the Bay
www.healthebay.org

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We signed the "Support a Plastic Bag Ban in Los Angeles County" petition!

# 3,066:

5:03 pm PST, Jan 18, Howard Hackett, California
I ride the Ballona Creek bike trail frequently. Plastic bags are not a pretty site.

I have three bags made out of rcycled plastic bottles.

# 3,065:

5:01 pm PST, Jan 18, Nancy Cook, California
In France they charge for a heavy, very sturdy plastic bag. I think it cost just over a dollar. When it wears out, you bring it back and they will give you a new one. We never once saw plastic bags on the street. You can't drive anywhere without seeing them here.

Yes.

# 3,064:

4:59 pm PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California

# 3,063:

4:52 pm PST, Jan 18, Michele Aguilar, California
Please make this a priority issue. Banning unrecyclable bags from Los Angeles county will make a strong statement that Southern California is dedicated to doing our part to help our environment and conserve our natural resources. Imagine enjoying our famous beaches plastic bag free - Ban the Bag.

I use re-usable canvas bags.

# 3,062:

4:39 pm PST, Jan 18, Ted Miller, California

# 3,061:

4:36 pm PST, Jan 18, Brian Kahrs, California
Los Angeles will support you. Ban the bag.

# 3,060:

4:36 pm PST, Jan 18, Karen Randall, California
About one year ago, my friends had shown me a video about global warming. Included in that video was a fact that has driven me to stop using plastic bags and use reusable ones. About 6 billion bags are either littered across our land or polluting our oceans causing our ocean and wildlife to suffer. I took note as well to see how many plastic bags were lying around my neighborhood and I couldn't believe it but I counted 50 bags, 50 BAGS!!! It was maybe 1 square mile. It is vitally important that we do something to change the way we discard our plastic bags.. If China can ban them, why can't we??

I definitely use reusable bags and decline to take plastic ones when offered.

# 3,059:

4:11 pm PST, Jan 18, Thomas Richards, California
I ask that you support the elimination of plastic bags by supporting the proposed legislation.

yes

# 3,058:

3:59 pm PST, Jan 18, Amanda Penn, California
I currently use a canvas bag.

# 3,057:

3:57 pm PST, Jan 18, Phillip Arnold, California
Yes - Canvas bags for shopping

# 3,056:

3:53 pm PST, Jan 18, Julie Smith, California
Please ban plastic bags! They are wasteful, harmful to the environment, and absolutely unnecessary. If we simply quit using disposable bags and instead invest in reusable bags, we will be doing our part as responsible and concerned citizens to stop the waste and destruction. Everyone and everything will be so much better off!

I vow to always be prepared with my own reusable bags.

# 3,055:

3:49 pm PST, Jan 18, Elana Sitrin, California
Why not ban plastic bags?? They hurt our environment, contaminate our neighborhoods, and create insatiable demand for raw resources. Say NO to plastic bags!

I have taken my own reusable bags to the grocery store for several years, and I always get compliments! All of the supermarkets I shop at, from Top Value and Food4Less to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, sell affordable, reusable bags...there's simply NO NEED for plastic!

# 3,054:

3:48 pm PST, Jan 18, Dana Walden, California
I am stunned to learn of the size of the problem and the reluctance on the part of the Board of Supervisors to take immediate action. I am certain with greater attention and public education, more people would join us in changing their behavior if they knew what was at stake. Thank you.

Not currently but after this email we will begin doing so.

# 3,053:

3:36 pm PST, Jan 18, Kristen Torres, California
I heard about this petition sitting in my dining hall at UCLA. This is a simple way to dramatically make a difference to our fragile environment that students here at UCLA support and talk about while we eat lunch. We the future leaders of our city ask that you do what you can to help make our inevitably difficult battle with environmental degradation a little more surmountable.

yes

# 3,052:

3:35 pm PST, Jan 18, Dayna Bochco, California
Let LA be a leader in this important environmental area.

yes

# 3,051:

3:32 pm PST, Jan 18, Anna Lu, California
Yes, i currently use canvas bags when i go grocery shopping.

# 3,050:

3:21 pm PST, Jan 18, Jamie Lewsadder, California
I am so happy to have heard about this movement. After reading that other countries have adopted similar measures, I felt surprised that Los Angeles was not yet on board. My new years resolution is to try and use less plastic overall in my life. Thanks for the effort!

Currently I use canvas sacks for my shopping and paper if I forget them at home.

# 3,049:

3:11 pm PST, Jan 18, Tom Cavanagh, California
I support the ban.

# 3,048:

2:36 pm PST, Jan 18, Joyce Sisson, California
We all have stories about this pollutant like, when they get tangled in our surf leashes or wash up in clumps on the beach. I�ve recently heard that fishermen call this plastic bag in the surf event a �bag tide�. I�ve seen them floating in currents during whale watching and fishing trips. But, my favorite story was when my son and I were traveling through Baja, we passed a field with a plastic bag draped over every single plant, bush and blade of grass � I mean acres and acres. It was an unforgettable site. I told him this is where they grow the plastic bags for the grocery stores. We laughed, but when you think about it - it�s so sad. These bags are everywhere. Besides the unsightliness of these bags littering our environment, they also kill marine life by entanglement or when they are ingested.

I use re-usable canvas bags

# 3,047:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 18, Kristin Sterling, California
We need to protect our environment. 6 billion bags a year is obsurd.

yes I have my environmentaly friendly bags, that are more convienent and dont fall apart with groceries in them!

# 3,046:

2:21 pm PST, Jan 18, Kevin Flinn, California

# 3,045:

2:10 pm PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California

# 3,044:

2:00 pm PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California

# 3,043:

1:43 pm PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California

# 3,042:

12:54 pm PST, Jan 18, Denise Weiss, California
Please do whatever you can to keep our city, country,, backyard clean and safe for our children's children.

I do use canvas bags for shopping.

# 3,041:

12:33 pm PST, Jan 18, Jancy Liu, California
I've been using tot bags for years and all it takes is a little reminders and leaving them in your car. Plastic bags are not a necessary item and can be easily eliminated if there was some support from the city. Other large cities such as San Francisco have already made this work. LA should not be last to help the environment.

Do you currently use canvas or other types of reusable bags? YES!!!!!

# 3,040:

12:23 pm PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California

# 3,039:

12:13 pm PST, Jan 18, Alice Doherty, United Kingdom
This is a world wide issue and has to be addressed. Take a step forward and stand up and be counted by leading by a great example thus showing your true commitment to the environment...

I use canvas bags...it's a small change to make but what a difference it would make if EVERYONE could make the same one :)

# 3,038:

12:06 pm PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California

# 3,037:

11:20 am PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California
yes

# 3,036:

11:14 am PST, Jan 18, Sharon McCormick, California
Although this may sound like a small step, its impact would be huge.

I do use canvas and other reuseable bags, probably 80-90% of the time now.

# 3,035:

11:11 am PST, Jan 18, Robert Gendron, Virginia
Plastic is ugly and dangerous to wildlife....Its got to go.

Yes , my wife and I do.

# 3,034:

10:57 am PST, Jan 18, Patrick Smith, California
Members of the County Board of Supervisors: I spend many hours per week in the offshore waters between Santa Barbara and the Mexican border and am seeing the increasing amount of plastics in our local waters. Most commonly seen (and picked up by our vessel) are the plastic grocery bags, but all manner of plastic (balloons, candy and fast food wrappers, containers for oils, soaps and solvents, etc., etc.)is found on nearly a minute-to-minute basis; the increase is obvious and depressing. All of us aboard the R/V Moby Kate will grab a boat hook and snag these materials from the water when we aren't working, but it is a gargantuan task that would take the resources of an armada to even make a dent in. Elimination of disposable plastic bags certainly will not solve the current problem, but it will be an excellent, small, first step. Thank you, Patrick Smith, M.A. CMAR

I do use canvas bags for shopping.

# 3,033:

10:39 am PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California
Yes, I always bring my own canvas bags to stores.

# 3,032:

10:28 am PST, Jan 18, Andrea Phillips, California
We can all contribute to make a difference.

Yes!

# 3,031:

10:21 am PST, Jan 18, Charles Cummiskey, California

# 3,030:

10:01 am PST, Jan 18, Heather Epps, California
I strongly support this initative and hope the policy makers in Los Angeles see the dire need of this to become a reality.

Currently my entire family uses reusable bags.

# 3,029:

9:47 am PST, Jan 18, Sara Beaini, California

# 3,028:

9:32 am PST, Jan 18, Valerie Carrillo, California
I will use canvas bags instead of plastic bags!!

# 3,027:

9:31 am PST, Jan 18, Melonie Magruder, California
19 million plastic bags in California alone? It's really not difficult to use canvas, recyclable bags!

Absolutely!

# 3,026:

9:06 am PST, Jan 18, Name not displayed, California
Please help save our precious resources.

My household has started using mesh and paper bags to shop at grocery stores. Just ask for paper and not plastic.

# 3,025:

8:53 am PST, Jan 18, Merry Passage, California
We are always dismayed at the indiscriminate use of plastic bags for items that could easily be carried out of the store without a bag. When diving, we collect plastic bags that make their way into the ocean. It's disgusting. For the record, we've observed that plastic bags don't make a habitat for marine life.

Not lately, but will make an greater effort to remember to take them with me.

# 3,024:

8:42 am PST, Jan 18, Louise Bristow, New York
We know plastic bags are dangerous for babies, they are also dangerous for animals and plants. They are also very unsightly!

Canvas

# 3,023:

7:35 am PST, Jan 18, Chelsie Johnson, California
Yes, I bring my own bags when shopping.

# 3,022:

7:31 am PST, Jan 18, Caitlin Tillman, Ohio

# 3,021:

6:59 am PST, Jan 18, Soledad Posac, Argentina

# 3,020:

6:58 am PST, Jan 18, Rhona Aiton dillon, California
yes~!

# 3,019:

6:31 am PST, Jan 18, Karrie Kern, Texas

# 3,018:

6:01 am PST, Jan 18, Adelita Dur�n, Costa Rica

# 3,017:

4:33 am PST, Jan 18, Gautam Talagery, Texas
We should mandate a price tag on plastic bags at the checkout line to encourage people to bring canvas bags while shopping. This practice has worked well in eco-conscious countries like Sweden

I have three different canvas bags that I use for my grocery shopping, and try to avoid taking a plastic bag when I forget to carry a canvas bag into the store.

# 3,016:

10:24 pm PST, Jan 17, Melanie Winter, California
Please step up and Ban the Bag! This critical step will go a long way towards meeting the federal court order to improve our region's water quality, will reduce our waste stream, and will help protect wildlife. Eliminate Plastic Bags in LA County!

I carry and use canvas bags for all my shopping.

# 3,015:

10:17 pm PST, Jan 17, Geri HARVEY, California

# 3,014:

9:38 pm PST, Jan 17, Name not displayed, California
This is great - everyone should pass it on

# 3,013:

9:32 pm PST, Jan 17, Michael Woodrum, California
It is time to make a change. We simply can not assume that everything is being taken care of for us to the best interest of our planet or us. There is no "Away" we need to recycle and change our approch on a global level.

We currently use our own canvas bags.

# 3,012:

9:14 pm PST, Jan 17, Anne Farnsworth, California
please help cut down on plastic bags.

yes. i use canvas. when i get a plastic bag i use it for garbage.

# 3,011:

9:12 pm PST, Jan 17, Edith Jimenez, California

# 3,010:

6:34 pm PST, Jan 17, Marie Turner, California
Please take action to get rid of plastic bags.

Yes. I use paper, some plastic and canvas bags.

# 3,009:

6:16 pm PST, Jan 17, Jacob Quinn, California
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of Texas, weighs 3.5 million tons, and is growing at an enormous rate... banning plastic bags is the least we can do!

# 3,008:

6:12 pm PST, Jan 17, Darlene Davis, Michigan

# 3,007:

5:54 pm PST, Jan 17, Maria Petropaki, California
We ALL need to do something to help our planet, our children and ourseleves. It is the responsibility of every single person that lives in this Earth - let's STOP destroying our future!!

yes

# 3,006:

5:36 pm PST, Jan 17, Garrett Allen, California
BAN THE BAGS!!!

Yes

# 3,005:

5:00 pm PST, Jan 17, Evelyne Gaudin, California
visit www.chicobag.com or http://store.greenfeet.com/items.asp?Cc=REUSE%5FSHOP%5FBAG&Bc=&WT.svl=catnav

Yes.. I never use a plastic bag.. and very seldom paper bags..

# 3,004:

4:58 pm PST, Jan 17, Donna Flood, California
We all have good intentions, sometimes we need enforsement to make it happen!

We use canvas bags 90% of the time.

# 3,003:

4:52 pm PST, Jan 17, Alicia Smith, Illinois

# 3,002:

4:32 pm PST, Jan 17, Renee Lindsey, California
I want my grandchildren to be able to enjoy the beauty of the beach and related wildlife. Please give them that chance by helping us clean up the bay.

Yes

# 3,001:

4:32 pm PST, Jan 17, Vivianne Mosca-Clark, Oregon
dispose of plastic bag correctly,and we will not have these issues. It could help with the transition from plastic to cloth bags.

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