Santa Rosa Clamors for Plastic Bag Ban

As more communities across the Bay Area demand an end to the polluting impact of plastic bags, retailers have begrudgingly begun to accept the idea that bag bans are inevitable.

At a community meeting in Santa Rosa this week, a representative from Safeway said that her company is eager to ensure uniform enforcement of bag limitations, according to the Press Democrat.

The meeting was attended by numerous experts, business groups, and members of the public. It's unclear exactly what Santa Rosa's new bag policy will look like, but it's likely to affect paper and plastic. Marin recently passed legislation that prohibits plastic bags, which cause significant environmental damage, and imposes a surcharge on paper bags.

Customers are encouraged to bring re-usable containers for groceries, eliminating the need for the costly manufacturing, transportation, and disposal of single-use bags.

The plastic bag industry has long resisted such attempts, attempting to impose their product on consumers despite the environmental toll. But Santa Rosa officials, working in partnership with industry and trade groups, may put a bag ban on the ballot, which would indicate once and for all the consumers want cleaner alternatives.