Huntington Beach Reusable Bag Ordinance

The Surfrider Foundation Huntington Beach Chapter worked with the City of Huntington Beach to establish a plastic checkout bag ban since 2011 and it was finalized April 1st, 2013 and is set to take effect on November 1, 2013. The ordinance will ban plastic checkout bags and place a 10 cent fee on paper bags at retailers that use a high quantity of checkout bags. Plastic bags are made from non-renewable resources such as natural gas and oil. Plastic bags do not biodegrade in our lifetimes and can impact wildlife when littered - in addition being an eyesore, costing taxpayer dollars to pick up, and potentially clogging drains. While plastic bags are recyclable, recent reports show a dismal 5% recycling rate from the 115 billion bags used nationwide. Huntington Beach is a leader on the issue in Orange County and we thank the City Council for their support.