Fight the Plastic Power

The plastic bag giants have filed nuisance lawsuits against reusable bag manufacturer ChicoBag, as well as Marin County and the City of Long Beach for taking a stand to reduce unnecessary single use bag litter and waste. Join Heal the Bay in saying “YES” to the reusable bag movement and “NO” to plastic bags. Tell the plastic bag industry to drop these intimidation lawsuits. Sign the petition today. 

Some California cities have been cautious to pass local ordinances banning plastic bags because of threatened litigation by the “Save Our Plastic Bag Coalition,” a group composed of plastic bag manufacturers and distributors. Industry litigation and huge lobbyist pressure derailed initiatives in several cities, including Seattle, Oakland and Palo Alto. 

Despite the bullying tactics, communities continue to fight back, with new cities and counties moving forward with plastic bag bans, including the cities of Burbank and Huntington Beach. In July, the California Supreme Court ruled that the city of Manhattan Beach did not have to conduct a full environmental impact report prior to adopting a plastic bag ordinance, which the Save Our Plastic Bag Coalition had challenged.

Learn more about small business ChicoBag’s battle against the plastic bag industry at Spouting Off, the personal blog by Heal the Bay President, Mark Gold:  “Andy vs. The Plastic Goliath.”