Policy Order O-10

WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of this City Council that plastic bags are either restricted or banned in over a quarter of the world's countries. In the United States, bans have been imposed at the local level, starting with Nantucket over 20 years ago. San Francisco imposed a ban in 2007, later followed by Westport, Connecticut, Edmonds, Washington, Los Angeles County, CA, Brownsville, Texas; Bethel, Alaska, North Carolina's Outerbanks Region, Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington, San Jose, California, 30 rural villages in Alaska, and many cities throughout Canada.  Countries that have banned or restricted them include: China,  Israel, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Thailand, several states in India, three states and territories of Australia, Paris, Mexico City, Rajasthan (India), Sikkim (India), Taiwan, Singapore, Bangladesh, Malawi, Germany, Sweden, Paris, Mexico City, and three states/territories of Australia. These cities, states, and nations have had great success in curbing the use of disposable plastic bags from retailers; and

WHEREAS: Plastic bags contribute to litter and landfill loads and find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches, and streets. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and therefore die. Also, plastic bags are non-biodegradable. These bags don't decompose, they photodegrade, slowly breaking up into smaller and smaller toxic bits. This process takes about 200-400 years; and

WHEREAS: The United Nations estimates that plastic bags kill 1 billion animals per year. These animals suffer a painful death as the plastic wraps around their intestines or they choke to death; and

WHEREAS: In 2007 San Francisco became the first major city in the U.S. to ban single-use plastic bags in chain grocery stores and pharmacies. Dozens of other cities have followed suit and rising concern about the paltry recyclability of plastic bags has emphasized the benefit of such bans and the idea of reusable totes. It is estimated that close to 100 million fewer plastic bags were handed out over the last year in San Francisco; and

WHEREAS: The recycling of plastic bags is approximately 5.2%. Even if the recycling rate of plastic bags were to double - triple - or more, the remaining bags would still present an unacceptable danger to the world's wildlife; and

WHEREAS: The Council has requested that the City Manager look into the elimination of plastic bags from retail institutions in the community; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to revisit instituting a ban similar to that of the cities mentioned above and to revisit the issue of coordination with surrounding communities; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter.