At the February 28 city council meeting Executive Director Deborah Pendrey gave a heartfelt presentation and several individuals along with representatives from the Surfrider Foundation and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper gave further testimony as to the importance of passing the ordinance (some support conditional on changes to the ordinance). Council members requested several changes, but with a vote 5 to 0, supported the ordinance, and on March 13 a final reading will be done and the ordinance is expected to officially become law! Now, the ordinance is a ban on plastic bags (state law does not allow a fee on them) with a fee on paper bags because the point is to reduce all single-use point of sale bags.
Breaking out in a cold sweat at the thought? Life without point-of-sale bags is possible (remember they’ve only been around since 1973).
Here are some tips:
To remember your reusable bags keep them near the door of your home or in your car. If you forget your bags in the car, make yourself go out and get them. Firsthand experience says that will cure you real quick.
For dog poop use food packages like cereal or bread bags, or newspaper bags.
Line small trash cans with newspaper or plastic bags – that’s right, go raid the plastic bag bin at the grocery store and stock up with USED bags, just don’t take anymore new ones.
Research says it takes 16 to 21 times of repeating a task to make it a habit! Keep working on it and you will be able to stop using plastic and paper bags. If you happen to relapse, then make tomorrow a new day.
