Lafayette has followed Walnut Creek’s lead and banned plastic bags as of last week. Paper bags are available for purchase for 10 cents. Do you support the ban for environmental reasons? Are you against the ban, if so, why?
From the City of Lafayette informational page:
Are businesses required to charge?
Select businesses are required to charge a minimum charge of $0.10 per checkout bag (compostable bags, recycled paper bags, or reusable bags) that they provide to the customer. A business may choose to charge more for carryout bags they provide. Businesses that must impose the charge include:Grocery Stores & Markets (Chow, Diablo Foods, Open Sesame, Safeway, Trader Joes, Whole Foods)
Pharmacies (CVS, Walgreen’s Pharmacy)
Convenience Stores (7-11, Kwik Stop, Gas Stations)
Liquor Stores (Jackson’s Wines & Spirits, Wine Thieves)What are the requirements for public eating establishments?
Starting on July 1, 2015, all public eating establishments (such as restaurants, delicatessens, cafeterias and food trucks) cannot distribute single-use plastic checkout bags to customers for their take-out food for delivery or pick-up. Customers can opt for no bag, paper bags may be provided to customer at no charge, and reusable bags can be used at the discretion of customer and restaurant. Individual paper or plastic product bags without handles may be used around containers of soups or stews to prevent spilling. Additionally, eating establishments are prohibited from utilizing Styrofoam and are required to utilize food and beverage containers that are readily compostable or recyclable.