On August 25, 2015, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors adopted a local ordinance banning single-use plastic bags in some stores in the unincorporated areas of the county. The law is very similar to locally approved bag bans in the cities of Santa Barbara, Ojai, and Carpinteria, as well as all of San Luis Obispo County and its cities.

The ban affects supermarkets, pharmacies, food markets, and liquor stores. These stores will eventually offer only reusable bags for sale or bags made out of recycled paper that will cost 10 cents per bag.

Larger stores like supermarkets and large chain pharmacies will be impacted by this law on March 22, 2016. Smaller stores, like neighborhood markets and liquor stores, will be affected on September 24, 2016. County staff estimates that 8 larger stores and 66 smaller stores will be affected within the unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County.

Please read our press release by clicking here. If you have any questions about the ordinance or its related Environmental Impact Report (EIR), please contact Carlyle Johnston at (805) 882-3617 or send him an e-mail. 

Read more about the recylability of plastic bags on our Plastic Bag Recycling Page.