Long Beach was an early adopter, banning single-use plastic carryout bags at large retailers in 2011 under LBMC Chapter 8.103. The ordinance now operates alongside California's statewide ban (SB 270) requiring 10-cent fees for paper or reusable bags.
Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 8.103, adopted in 2011, prohibited grocery stores and large pharmacies from providing free single-use plastic carryout bags, predating the statewide California ban by several years. After voters upheld California Senate Bill 270 in 2016 (Proposition 67), the state preempted weaker local rules, but Long Beach's framework continues through Chapter 8.103. Retailers must charge at least ten cents for each recycled-content paper or reusable bag, and the fee is retained by the store. Customers using WIC or CalFresh benefits are exempt from the bag charge. Restaurants and small retailers were brought in over time.
Providing prohibited single-use plastic bags or failing to charge the minimum fee can result in administrative citations of one hundred dollars for a first offense, two hundred for second, and five hundred for additional violations within a year.
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