Santa Cruz County is the latest to jump in and ban plastic bags. Grocery stores and retailers will be affected, but not restaurants. The Board of Supervisors dropped that part of the ban after the San Francisco-based Save the Plastic Bag Coalition threatened to sue.
Environmental advocates say the ban will keep keep litter off of local beaches and out of Monterey Bay, where they would be hazardous for marine life.
Santa Cruz is now one of 20-plus counties and cities that have banned plastic bags. Four cities in the county have adopted the ban, however Santa Cruz is not one of them. City leaders there are considering adopting a similar ban and also looking at expanding a ban on foam containers.
