The Hayward City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 28 to accept an Alameda County ordinance that will phase out the use of plastic carryout bags and promote reusable ones starting Jan. 2 next year. 

According to Hayward City Councilmember Olden Henson, “The purpose of the ordinance is to discourage the use of single-use bags of any kind.”

The county’s measure was passed approximately a month ago and is part of a growing trend across California that has seen a rise in the local regulation of plastic bag use after state legislation failed to pass the senate in 2010.

Hayward officials explained that the benefits the ordinance would be extended to the city’s residents, the local government and the environment. 

According to Vera Dahle-Lacaze, Hayward’s solid waste manager, the ordinance will reduce “the adverse environmental impacts as a result of plastic bag litter […] and help to improve the quality of San Francisco Bay.”

In addition, Councilmember Barbara Halliday said that plastic bag litter was also adding to the city’s clean-up costs.

“We’re having to spend increased money on our waste water treatment plants and storm water facilities for special filters to keep the bags out of the bay, and it costs environmentally when it ends up in the bay,” said Halliday, who added that the ordinance would also help to provide a cleaner city for Hayward residents.

However, the ordinance will not ban plastic bags at restaurants, take-out food businesses, and retail stores that use plastic bags for meat, fresh produce and cooked foods.

Alex Ameri, the Hayward director of public works, explained at the council meeting that such exceptions within the ordinance were for “public safety” so that customers wouldn’t have to contend with contaminated or hot foods.

Moreover, Halliday also praised the ordinance for taking into account special circumstances.

“I think the law was well crafted,” said Halliday. “That the exceptions that people were looking for from the grocery industry were there […] To be able to put your produce in a plastic bag, those were things that were considered and exempted.”

Residents, who may be concerned with getting caught at the grocery store without a bag should know that the law still allows for the distribution of single-use paper bags and reusable bags, albeit at a small price of ten cents for the former and one dollar for the latter according to Dahle-Lacaze.

Several council members emphasized at the Feb. 28 meeting that it was simply a matter of getting use to reusable bags to meet the requirements of the ordinance.
“Keeping our environment clean is worth a little bit of inconvenience in carrying these things [reusable bags] around and using them when we need to,” said Halliday, who noted that it won’t cost customers anything if they bring their own bag.