Currently, California legislators are addressing another prevalent form of plastic pollution – Polystyrene Food Containers – with a bill introduced by Senator Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach. This bill would prohibit a food vendor or restaurant, on or after January 1, 2013, from dispensing prepared food to a customer in a polystyrene foam container (aka Styrofoam™).
October 1, 2011 9am-12pm at Termino Ave. Beach near Belmont Pier (One-Piece-At-A-Time Beach Cleanup)
Free Cliff Bar for all participants!
Rise Above Plastics this October and help keep plastic trash off of your coasts and waterways by participating in Surfrider Foundation’s One Foot at a Time plastic cleanup event on October 1st. Held in conjunction with Clif Bar’s Day of Action, volunteers from across the country will join together to raise awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution by removing pieces of plastic trash from our environment one square foot at a time, and then using that collected plastic to create unique mosaic sculptures.
To submit your plastic trash mosiac, simply take a picture of your square foot of trash collected and email us at OFAAT@surfrider.org for the chance to win cool prizes and help us reach our goal of removing 1,000 square feet of plastic debris from our environment. Fore more information, go to www.raptoberfest.org
In support of the single use plastic bag ban, the Long Beach Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is giving away reusable shopping bags at two upcoming events. If you’re having a difficult time affording reusable shopping bags stop by our table and get one for free. The events are:
McBride Park Free Food Giveaway
Friday August 19, 9 am – 12 noon,
California Recreation Park
1550 Martin Luther King Junior Avenue,
Long Beach, CA 90813
On Tuesday May 24th the Long Beach City Council voted 5-3 to pass the second reading of a carryout bag ordinance that would affect supermarkets, large pharmacies, farmers markets and retailers within city limits. Next, it’s on to Mayor Bob Foster’s desk for final approval, which is expected in the coming weeks. After the State of California failed to pass AB 1998 last year, a statewide ordinance banning single-use plastic bags and putting a fee on paper bags, Los Angeles County stepped up with a bag ordinance and now cities are lining up for their own individual ordinances. Thus far, seven separate municipalities in California have passed bag bans in the past six months. When the state fails to act on an important issue like this it forces local governments to act in a piecemeal fashion to help protect the environment from plastic pollution.
UPDATED (5/21/2011): Be there for the Bag Ban Ordinance, Second Reading on May 24, 6pm at the Long Beach City Hall!
Thank you for showing the overwhelming support for the bag ban ordinanace at last Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Your comments were very helpful in reaching the necessary five votes for passage of the ordinance. This Tuesday, May 24, the ordinance will come back to City Hall for a second and final reading. This is a normal proceedure for establishing an ordinanace. Usually on the second reading, councilmembers vote to pass the ordinance without much discussion. However, since 4 councilmembers were absent from the first vote (DeLong, O’Donnell, Schipske, Gabelich) and some negative comments were submitted to the editorial reports (LBReport.com, LB Post.com), we need to turn out even more support at this Tuesday’s meeting to send a clear message that residents want Long Beach to take this important step forward. Bring a reusable bag to show your support!
The ordinance is Item #17 on the agenda, so predicting an accurate time to show up is difficult. However, there are no recognitions or hearings at the beginning of the meeting and the rest of the agenda is relatively straightforward, so we recommend you show up at 6:00 pm at council chambers (ground floor) City Hall, 333 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Free parking at the City Hall.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, please call your city councilmember and tell him or her to support the Bag Ban Ordinance. We’re almost there! We just need one more push.
(Published May 10, 2011) The Long Beach Single Use Bag Ordinance is scheduled to come before City Council next week Tuesday, May 17 5:00 pm and we need your help!
1. Can you help spread the word by calling our local members? If so contact Bill Hickman (bhickman@surfrider.org)
2. Attend the Meeting Tuesday, May 17 5:00 pm and show your support.
3. Contact your district Representative – More Details after the jump.
The City of Long Beach spends millions of dollars every year and countless staff and volunteer hours, cleaning up marine debris that includes a great deal of plastic bags. Not to mention the lost revenue associated with some people’s perception of the City’s beaches and shoreline, which affects our economic development, recreation and tourism. This is local funding and hard work that could be better used. Continue reading We Need You to Help Pass the Single Use Bag Ordinance!
Beth Barnes, Surfrider Long Beach brings new meaning to ‘beach cleanups’ at the United States Pan Pacific Open Water 10K Swim races at Marine Stadium. The race featured open water swimmers from Australia, USA, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Brazil’s National Teams. Beth, who was stationed on the feeding pontoon in the water with the coaches received accolades for her efforts to skim empty plastic bottles and cups out of the water after the thirsty long-distance elite athletes took only seconds to drink, then discard. Beth said that it was not only her job as a volunteer but her job as a member of Surfrider to keep the oceans free of debris and what better place than in her own backyard.
Question:Do you support legislation such as a plastic bag ban or tax that will help reduce and eventually eliminate the use of single-use plastics?
Mayor
Bob Foster
No response.
1
Robert Garcia
I would support a plastic bag ban as long as we worked with business on a plan for implementation.
2
Suja Lowenthal
Yes. In fact, I have been the Council’s strongest advocate for state and local measures to eliminate the use of plastic (and paper) single-use bags, encouraging residents to use canvas bags through my sponsorship of “A Day Without a Bag” and other free canvas bag events in the Second District.
3
Gary DeLong
No response.
4
Patrick O’Donnell
Yes.
5
Gerrie Schipske
Yes.
6
Dee Andrews
No response.
7
James Johnson
I believe in exploring taxes or fees on plastic bags that would help discourage or eliminate their use. Currently, the use of these bags imposes a tremendous cost on our society in terms of polluting our streets and waterways, and we need to work to reduce this cost.