Planning Department

Prohibition on the Distribution of Plastic Carryout Bags and

Establishment of a Charge on Paper Carryout Bags

City CouncilOctober 3, 2011

Planning Department

2

Proposed Ordinance

• Reduce Consumer Use of Single Use Disposable Carry-Out Bags and Accelerate a Shift to Reusable Bags

Planning Department

Proposed Ordinance

• Furthers the City’s Commitment to Environmental Stewardship>Supports Council Adopted Green City Action Plan

Goals>Supports Council Adopted Green Cities California

Sustainability Resolution

• Supported by the Environmental Advisory Commission>Subcommittee on Waste>Public Meetings

• Follows Los Angeles County Model Ordinance>Supports Consistency in the Region

3

Planning Department

• Applies to supermarkets, drug stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, food markets, farmers markets and vendors at City events/facilities/property

• Two Phases of Implementation>6 months – larger grocers and food marts>12 months – smaller grocers, convenience stores, food

markets, drug stores, liquor stores, farmers markets, vendors at City sponsored events, facilities or City property

• Exemptions

Proposed Ordinance

4

Planning Department

Proposed Ordinance

• Benefits to the Environment

• Reduction of Litter and Associated Clean-Up Costs

• Reduction of Waste Sent to Landfills

5

Planning Department

Reduction of Litter

• Compliance with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Zero Trash Goal for the Los Angeles River Watershed

6

Planning Department

Pasadena Stores

• Phone survey of approximately 100 stores affected by the proposed ordinance

7

Type of Store Total Number of Stores Within City

Affected by Ordinance

Percentage of Stores Who

Responded to Survey

Large Grocery Stores 22 91%

Large Food Marts 2 100%

Pharmacies 15 73%

Convenience Stores 6 50%

Liquor Stores 16 50%

Small Grocers 38 42%

Planning Department

Pasadena Stores’ Practices

8

Type of Store (Number

Responded)

Provide Plastic

Provide Paper

Sell Reusable

Provide Incentive

Large Grocery Stores (20)

18 15 20 10

Large Food Marts (2) 2 0 2 2

Pharmacies (11) 10 5 9 4

Convenience Stores (3)

3 2 1 0

Liquor Stores (8) 7 5 0 0

Small Grocers (16) 16 11 3 0

Planning Department

Paper Bag Charge

• Reduce the use of single-use carryout bags

• Reasonable average cost for a paper bag

• Deters transition from plastic to paper carryout bags and supports transition to reusable bags

• Minimizes trading one set of environment impacts for other

• Is not a tax and is not subject to sales tax

• Retained by the store9

Planning Department

Public Outreach

• A 12-month focused public outreach effort will include:

> Provide information to affected stores and Farmers Markets on the provisions of the ordinance

> Develop an online resource page to include best management practices, downloadable signage, decals and brochures

> Distribute information through existing public information channels

> Coordinate with the Special Events Office> Continue to distribute reusable bags at no charge at

various established City sponsored public outreach events. > Initiate a reusable bag share program> Seek out partnerships

10

Planning Department

Enforcement

• Complaint driven

• Non-Compliance Minimal

• Handled by Code Enforcement

11

Planning Department

Environmental Analysis

• Los Angeles County’s EIR was designed to allow any of the 88 incorporated cities in the County to tier off of the County’s EIR

• An Addendum to the County’s EIR was created to ensure that the City meets its environmental obligations and addresses the environmental impact, if any, of the proposed ordinance to the City of Pasadena

• Addendum circulated for public review

12