Board approves expanded checkout-bag ban with outreach and limited exemptions

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an ordinance amending the Environment Code to extend restrictions on single-use checkout bags to all retail and food establishments, and added amendments directing expanded multilingual merchant outreach and limited exemptions for certain uses.

The ordinance requires stores to charge 10¢ for most checkout bags and gives the Department of the Environment a role in education and vendor outreach. The board approved an amendment directing the Department to provide multilingual information for store employees and customers, to publish lists of vendors that distribute recyclable or reusable bags, and to conduct outreach and “bag fairs” to connect merchants with allowable-bag suppliers. The amendment also clarified that bags used to package fragile or oversized items would not be covered by the ban.

Why it matters: Supervisors and the department said the measure is intended to reduce plastic litter and spur reuse while easing merchants’ transition through education and a modest fee. Supporters stressed…