Update March 22, 2016:
Today, the Board of Supervisors voted to move forward on a single-use carry-out bag ordinance. The Board waived full reading and directed staff to bring the ordinance back for a vote for full adoption on April 26, 2016, with an effective date of July 1, 2016. The goal of the ordinance is to reduce the distribution of single-use plastic bags in the unincorporated area of Sacramento County.
The proposed County ordinance is modeled on California Senate Bill (SB) 270, which has not taken effect. A referendum on SB 270 will appear on the November 2016 ballot. If the referendum fails and the bill takes effect, retailers following the introduced Sacramento County ordinance would already be in compliance with State law. If the referendum passes and the statewide ban does not occur, Sacramento County’s ordinance would be consistent with similar ordinances passed by other local jurisdictions.
Over the next month, County staff will conduct a Bring Your Own Sac public outreach campaign targeted to businesses that will be affected by the introduced ordinance. If the ordinance is adopted on April 26, the campaign will broaden to include the general public and more specific instructions for retailers on how to comply. Questions and comments about the ordinance can be directed to
singleusebag@saccounty.net.
March 8, 2016
At a workshop to discuss a possible single-use plastic bag ordinance in unincorporated Sacramento County, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to introduce a draft ordinance to the Board at its March 22, 2016 meeting. The Board held the public workshop to discuss the merits of an ordinance to reduce distribution of single-use carry-out bags in unincorporated Sacramento County. During the workshop, County staff presented information about single-use carryout bag ordinances throughout the State. Members of the public and the business community also spoke during the workshop.