Purpose: To regulate the use of plastic carryout bags and recyclable paper carryout bags and to promote the use of reusable bags within the County unincorporated area.

Ordinance restricting the use of single use plastic bags and imposing a 10 cent charge on recyclable paper carryout bags.

The Department of Public Works, Los Angeles County, determined that the voluntary Single-Use Bag Reduction and Recycling Program was not successful in achieving its goals. Throughout the course of the program, not more than eight stores at any given time had met the minimum requirement levels.

The LA County Bag Ban Ordinance website provides links to numerous resources associated with this ground breaking ordinance including the Environmental Impact Report, the ordinance, correspondence, outreach strategies, other resources and a way to contact relevant staff.

Public Outreach & Education:

Although the public education and outreach aspects of the program raised awareness, it could not be determined if it caused a significant enough shift in consumer behavior to meet the objectives of the County.

Reduce blight, litter, and other negative environmental impacts associated with single-use bags. In addition, this ordinance will reduce the County’s impact, promote environmental stewardship, and use departmental resources effectively to implement environmental programs in a cost-effective manner.

Public Works Solid Waste Management Fund oversees enforcement. The adoption of the ordinance is not anticipated to have any impact on the County’s General Fund or any department budget.