Plastic Bags Beware: City Moves Closer to Single-Use Ban

Single-use plastic bags could be a thing of the past for Hercules retailers if the city continues to move toward banning the bags from businesses.

“I think the plastic bag’s time is over. I think it’s time we move to reusable bags,” said Vice Mayor John Delgado at last Tuesday’s Hercules City Council . “These are things destined for the trash and I think it’s time we remove them from the garbage stream,” he said.

The council voted unanimously to participate with West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (RecycleMore) in developing and implementing a model single-use bag ordinance at the city level to reduce waste and litter.

“We’re getting retailers out of the free bag business,” said Chris Lehon, RecycleMore executive director, who spoke to the council about what the ban would mean for Hercules.

RecycleMore has a draft of the ordinance that outlines how the city could be affected:

1. Retailers would not be allowed to distribute single-use plastic carryout bags with purchases.

2. Businesses would charge five to 10 cents for carryout paper bags and encourage consumers to bring reusable bags.

3. Stores would be required to make reusable bags available by either selling them or providing them for free.

In the months ahead, RecycleMore will work on completing a draft of the single-use ban ordinance for interested cities like Hercules to review and amend before potentially adopting. Lehon said his agency would complete the draft by October or November.