It is time for all the residents of Redwood City to take out their wholesale reusable bags. Like most of the towns in the region, Redwood City too has pledged against the use of plastic bags. With this new rule, all the one-time use paper and plastic bags in the city will be banned in most of the retail stores. Redwood City had pushed this ordinance for October to ensure that customers and businesses get enough time to prepare for the change.

Ban on Plastic Bags in the City to Cut Down on Plastic Waste

Once the ban comes into effect, retailers will be prohibited from providing plastic bags to their customers. In case their customers forget to get their reusable bags, the store owner can lend them a bag for which they will be charged a certain amount. Apart from that, retailers will also be allowed to voluntarily give out free bags to WIC and food stamp participants. According to this ordinance, any plastic bag that has a minimum thickness of 2.25 millimeters will be considered reusable.

The fee is being implemented with the idea of reminding customers to carry wholesale reusable bags with them while they shop. The fee charged on these extra bags will also help retailers in covering their advertising as well as purchasing price on these bags.

A report conducted on the environmental impact of the non-biodegradable plastic bags revealed that close to 400 million of such plastic bags were being used in San Mateo County every year. This number includes 42 million plastic bags used in Redwood City per year. Environmental Impact Report also stated that only a small part of this plastic bag waste is recycled. Most of it ends up cluttering the city or makes its way to the landfills. The report also mentioned that Redwood City can cut down on the use of plastic bags by around 95% once the ban gets implemented.

Promoting Eco-Friendly Habits With the Ban on Plastic Bags

Most of the residents of Redwood City are aware of the negative impact of non-biodegradable plastic bags. While some of them have understood their responsibility and have started opting for reusable bags over plastic bags, many other need to be motivated to do the same. This latest rule in Redwood City is likely to help residents in understanding the need to switching to reusable bags and giving up on plastic bags.

Source: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2013-09-30/redwood-city-ready-to-ban-plastic-bags/1776223.html