Santa Cruz joins more than a dozen state districts in banning plastic bags.

CALPIRG and Save Our Shores spearhead a campaign to ban plastic bags in cities that will hopefully lead to a statewide ban. Local businesses show their support by signing the petition for the city of Santa Cruz to ban single-use plastic bags.

Single-use plastic bags are commonplace in Santa Cruz businesses as well as the pantries of local residencies. But city councilmembers are trying to change that as they move forward with research on a county-wide proposal to ban them.

Earth Day Santa Cruz implements zero waste strategies and spreads awareness of environmental issues.

The plastic revolution is over. Once valued for its low cost, malleability, and durability, a plastic bag doesn’t last much longer than the duration of the trip from grocery store to home. The plastic itself outlives its usefulness, possibly taking hundreds of years to break down. Amid protestations from the plastics industry, Santa Cruz County [...]