Certain single-use plastics may soon be banned in the City of Santa Barbara. Items include small plastic water bottles, Mylar balloons, plastic confetti, and other disposables that harm the environment and pile up in landfills.
The city’s Ordinance Committee voted 3-0 last week to advance proposals that prohibit the sale and distribution of these items, with some exceptions for food banks, shelters, and emergencies. It will now move on to the City Council for a vote.
“It’s a long time overdue in my opinion,” said City Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez, who sits on the Ordinance Committee with councilmembers Kristen Sneddon and Mike Jordan.
“Every little bit adds up,” he told the Independent. “It’s all a drop in the bucket, but we’re neck-deep in that bucket right now. It [plastic] is in our food, in our water, in our blood. We gotta start small to hopefully add up to a bigger impact.”…