According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, single use plastic bags make up 0.4 percent of the overall landfill disposal waste stream - equivalent to 45,000 tons per year Countywide. Each year, 6 billion single use plastic carryout bags are consumed in the County of Los Angeles. Single use plastic bags contribute significantly to the County's litter problem.  Due to the lightweight nature of single use plastic bags, wind easily carries bags, causing them to become entangled in trees and scattered along roads. Only 5 percent of single use plastic carryout bags are currently recycled with current infrastructure due to the following factors: Single use plastic carryout bags usually have a high contamination rate. Single use plastic carryout bags have a tendency to jam the screens used to separate materials. It is not cost-efficient to recycle single use plastic carryout bags due to lack of suitable markets, with a limited domestic market.*
An Overview of Carryout Bags in the County of Los Angeles [PDF, 614KB]      Staff Report to the County of Los Angeles Supervisors Biodegradable Plastics - Developments and Environmental Impacts      Australia - Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Costs Associated With Paper and Plastic Bags      Robert Haley - Department of the Environment, San Francisco The Basics on Plastic Grocery and Retail Bag Source Reduction and Recycling Opportunities [PDF, 34KB]      Plastic Retail Grocery Bag Fact Sheet by Keep California Beautiful
Good Stuff? - Plastic Bags How Are Plastics Made? How Plastic Bags Affect Wildlife Plastic Bag: Friend or Foe? Plastic Bag Recycling Plastics Recycling Reusable Bags.com American Chemistry Council Bags Not Paper or Plastic, You Decide Roplast Industries - "Bring Back Bag" (Reusable Plastic Bag) Concept
County of Los Angeles - Energy & Environmental Efforts City of Santa Monica - Environmental Programs Division County of Ventura - Integrated Waste Management Division Government of South Australia - Plastic Bag Phase-Out California Integrated Waste Management Board - At-Store Recycling Program: Plastic Carryout Bags

Program Brochure [PDF, 1.2MB]      Español – Folleto de Programa [PDF, 1.2MB] Map of large grocery stores and retail stores with pharmacies within the County of Los Angeles unincorporated area [PDF, 150KB] Map of litter concentrations in catch basins within the County of Los Angeles [PDF, 9.7MB]** **note: this is a large file which may take a long time to download Store Participation Checklist [PDF, 300KB] Cover Letter [PDF, 78KB] Program Resource Packet (October, 2008) [PDF, 3.6MB] Sample Resolution to Join Single Use Bag Reduction and Recycling Program [PDF, 70KB] 5-Signature Letter Inviting City Participation [PDF, 100KB] Background on Alternative 5 [PDF, 31KB] Fact Sheet on Single Use Bag Reduction and Recycling Program [PDF, 80KB]

Quarterly Progress Report No. 6 August 3, 2009 [PDF, 1,314KB] Quarterly Progress Report No. 5 May 6, 2009 [PDF, 1,018KB] Quarterly Progress Report No. 4 February 2, 2009 [PDF, 1.3MB] Quarterly Progress Report No. 3 November 21, 2008 [PDF, 733KB] Quarterly Progress Report No. 2 August 13, 2008 [PDF, 4303KB] Status Update July 3, 2008 [PDF, 116KB] Quarterly Progress Report No. 1 May 2, 2008 [PDF, 466KB] Plastic Bag Policy Status Update April 8, 2008 [PDF, 212KB] Minutes from January 22, 2008, Board Meeting [PDF, 91KB] Third Status Report December 5, 2007 [PDF, 192KB] Recommended Actions September 4, 2007 [PDF, 3405KB] Recycling/Board Orders August 7, 2007 [PDF, 116KB] Board Order July 12, 2007 [PDF, 128KB]

*All references on this website are based on the August 2007 Plastic Bag Staff Report (PDF, 614 KB) to the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.

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