Carp Bag Ban Goes Into Effect

Carpinteria’s ban on single-use bags in its large commercial stores — Albertsons, CVS, Rite Aid, and Vons, and Kim’s Market — went into effect last week. The City Council approved the ordinance in 2010 and later settled a lawsuit with the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition after the law was tweaked to allow smaller stores and restaurants offer recyclable, single-use paper bags. The cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara and the county as a whole are working to implement a similar bag ban. All jurisdictions are helping to pay for an environmental impact report drafted by BEACON, the Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment.