CARLSBAD EXPANDS PLASTICS BAN TO INCLUDE BALLOONS, BOTTLES, BAGS
Council approves ordinances in aim to slow litter, pollution
Single-use plastic bags, beverage bottles and airborne balloons got tossed out this week in Carlsbad’s march to reduce the waste and pollution that end up in landfills or on roadsides and beaches.
Three separate environmental ordinances were introduced at Tuesday’s Carlsbad City Council meeting, mirroring or expanding actions taken by other cities and states nationwide. Plastic trash makes up 53 percent of litter collected on San Diego County beaches, according to the nonprofit San Diego Coastkeeper.
“It’s so important to protect our beaches,” said Councilmember Priya BhatPatel before the 5-0 vote to approve the measures.
State law prohibits the outdoor release of balloons made of electrically conductive material, such as foil or Mylar, but does not prohibit common types such as latex. Carlsbad’s new ordinance goes further and outlaws the intentional release of any balloon filled with gas lighter than air. In addition to littering, the balloons and any strings or plastic attached pose a hazard to wildlife.
The city also will prohibit the distribution of singleuse plastic beverage bottles at city facilities and city events. About 12.8 billion of the containers were sold in California in 2020, of which 8.8 billion were recycled and 4 billion ended up in landfills or as litter. The Ocean Conservancy reported plastic beverage bottles were the second-most collected item in its 2021 coastal cleanup.
Disposable plastic bags are lightweight and easily carried by the wind, making them widespread litter in streets, parks and the marine environment. Studies show local bag bans significantly reduce the problem.
Carlsbad’s ban prohibits retailers and food service providers from providing single-use bags and allows them to provide recyclable or reusable bags for a charge of at least 10 cents. Free disposable plastic bags will remain available in grocery stores for things such as produce. The ban will be phased in to give retailers and restaurants time to adapt.
Enforcement of the bag ban will begin July 1, 2023, for retail establishments and July 1, 2024, for foodservice providers. The balloon and plastic bottle laws will take effect 30 days after the council’s approval.
Council members expressed some confusion over what types of bags are “biodegradable,” “compostable” or “recyclable,” and what type of bag people get when they pay 10 cents for a “reusable” plastic bag.
“I have a hard time with charging 10 cents for a paper bag or a biodegradable plastic bag,” said Councilmember Keith Blackburn.
City staffers agreed to bring back more information on the various types of takeout bags available and that the council could adjust the ordinances, if necessary.
The new laws are part of a “road map” to environmental sustainability that the City Council adopted in December.
The council approved measures in April to stop the distribution of plastic spoons, forks, knives, straws and single-use condiment packets unless requested at food service establishments. Those rules take effect this summer, with enforcement to start next year.
Also part of the sustainability effort is the Carlsbad’s implementation of a state law requiring the recycling of organic waste, such as food scraps, which starts July 1 with the switch from Waste Management to Republic Services as the city’s waste hauler.