On November 14th, we reached out to the community to support a request that Los Angeles City ban the give away of single use plastic bags and you turned out to support us! Tuesday night, the MVCC Board approved the motion and today they sent the letter below to Mayor Villaraigosa and the Councilmembers of the LA City Council. Thank you for making this happen!
December 17, 2010
The Mar Vista Community Council, at its December 14th regular Board of Directors meeting, approved the attached and following letter in support of a City-wide ban on plastic bags. We appreciate your consideration in this matter.
Dear Mayor Villaraigosa and City Councilmembers:
Acknowledging the November 16, 2010, passage of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor’s ban on plastic bags and the Environmental Impact Report which legally supports it, and, in lockstep with the Clean Seas Coalition (7th Generation Advisors, Heal the Bay, Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, et al), we want to convey the Mar Vista Community Council’s support for a citywide ban on plastic bags.
Recognizing the importance of being good stewards of nearby Ballona Creek, the Ballona Wetlands, Santa Monica Bay and the oceans beyond, the Mar Vista Community Council has long supported efforts to clean up and improve waterways that affect our Southern California communities and our beaches which are so vital to our tourism industry.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Californians use more than 120,000 tons of the bags each year and, despite efforts to increase it, only 5% are actually recycled. Taxpayers therefore end up paying close to $25 million a year to rid streets, beaches, parks and waterways of the bags. A ban will help save city and state monies in troubled economic times and conserve important natural resources which could be put to a more beneficial use. A city-wide ban on plastic bags, identical to the County ban, would take us a giant step in the right direction.
The Mar Vista Community Council looks forward to your swift action on this matter.
Thank You,
Albert Olson
Chair
Mar Vista Community Council
Board of Directors
