Court Upholds San Francisco Bag Ban Extension

Allan Gerlat, News Editor

September 25, 2012

1 Min Read
Waste360 logo in a gray background | Waste360

San Francisco’s proposed extension of its bag ban to all retail stores and food establishments has been upheld by a local judge.

A San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled as valid the local ordinance extending San Francisco's ban on non-compostable plastic checkout bags and imposing a 10-cent charge on other bags provided to consumers. The ruling allows San Francisco to begin enforcing the ordinance as planned beginning Oct. 1, according to a news release from the city attorney’s office.

San Francisco has had the first prohibition on plastic checkout bags since 2007, affecting large supermarkets and retail pharmacies. The proposed expansion was signed into law in February.

The new law will apply to all retailers in October, with retail food establishments, such as takeout restaurants, subject to the ban beginning July 1, 2013. All establishments affected must charge customers 10 cents for each single-use paper or compostable plastic bag.

The Save the Plastic Bag Coalition sued the city following the signing of the new ordinance into law. The coalition argued that the law violated state health and sanitation standards.

 

About the Author

Allan Gerlat

News Editor, Waste360

Allan Gerlat joined the Waste360 staff in September 2011 as news editor. He was the editor of Waste & Recycling News for the first 16 years of its history, and under his guidance the publication won 27 national and regional awards.

Before Waste & Recycling News, Allan worked at another Crain Communications publication, Rubber & Plastics News, which covers rubber product manufacturing. He began with the publication as associate editor and eventually became managing editor, a position he held for nine years.

Allan is a graduate of Ohio University, where he earned a BS in journalism. He is based in Sagamore Hills, in northeast Ohio.

Stay in the Know - Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Join a network of more than 90,000 waste and recycling industry professionals. Get the latest news and insights straight to your inbox. Free.

You May Also Like