Huntington Beach City Council Votes Green, Favoring Plastic Bag Ban
Huntington Beach City Council members - including Connie Boardman, Devin Dwyer and Joe Shaw - voted 4 to 3 on Monday for the city to enact an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags, reports Huntington Beach Independent.
The law aims to ban store use of plastic bags and replace them with reusable bags. City staff were also asked to collaborate with other organizations to produce an educational program fostering change in attitudes concerning plastic bags.
The ordinance would not ban plastic bags to separate produce or meat, or ban bags used to collect pet droppings at the dog beach.
Surfrider Foundation strongly supports the initiative and has pledged to hold monthly reusable bag giveaways plus donate $2,000 toward an environmental impact report.
Among at least six other people speaking in favor of the ordinance, Zoe Florence, a 7-year-old local, "spoke eloquently to the council, shared her favorite spots in the city — among them, the pier — and some of her favorite foods, like sushi and fish tacos."
"If you help take care of our present, I will help take care of our future," Florence said.
Huntington Beach's staff will model its ordinance after Long Beach's ban and join other SoCal cities with similar rulings like Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica. Burbank is currently drafting a plastic bag ban ordinance.
