The following definitions apply to this chapter:
"Customer"
means any person purchasing goods from a store.
"Operator"
means the person in control of, or having the responsibility
for, the operation of a store, which may include, but is not limited
to, the owner of the store.
"Person"
means any natural person, firm, corporation, partnership,
or other organization or group however organized.
"Plastic carryout bag"
means any bag made predominantly of plastic derived from
either petroleum or a biologically-based source, such as corn or other
plant sources, which is provided to a customer at the point of sale.
"Plastic carryout bag" includes compostable and biodegradable
bags but does not include reusable bags, produce bags, or product
bags.
"Postconsumer recycled material"
means a material that would otherwise be destined for solid
waste disposal, having completed its intended end use and product
life cycle. "Postconsumer recycled material" does not
include materials and by-products generated from, and commonly reused
within, an original manufacturing and fabrication process.
"Produce bag" or "product bag"
means any bag without handles provided to a customer: (A)
to carry produce, meats, or other food items to the point of sale
inside a store; (B) to hold prescription medication dispensed from
a pharmacy; (C) to protect food or merchandise from being damaged
or contaminated by other food or merchandise when items are placed
together in a reusable bag or recyclable paper carryout bag; or (D)
a bag without handles that is designed to be placed over articles
of clothing on a hanger.
"Recyclable"
means material that can be sorted, cleansed, and reconstituted
using available recycling collection programs for the purpose of using
the altered form in the manufacture of a new product. "Recycling"
does not include burning, incinerating, converting, or otherwise thermally
destroying solid waste.
"Recyclable paper carryout bag"
means a paper bag that meets all of the following requirements:
(A) is one hundred percent recyclable overall and contains a minimum
of forty percent post-consumer recycled material; (B) is capable of
composting, consistent with the timeline and specifications of the
American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard D6400; (C)
is accepted for recycling in curbside programs in the city; (D) has
printed on the bag the name of the manufacturer, the location (country)
where the bag was manufactured, and the minimum percentage of postconsumer
recycled material used; and (E) displays the word "Recyclable"
in a highly visible manner on the outside of the bag.
"Reusable bag"
means a bag with handles that is specifically designed and
manufactured for multiple reuse and meets all of the following requirements:
(A) meets the EcoLogo ATP-001 standard for durability Dynamic Test
with a minimum of 1500 cycles of testing; (B) meets the EcoLogo ATP-001
standard for durability Capacity Test with a minimum volume of 15
liters; (C) is machine washable or is made from a material that can
be cleaned or disinfected; (D) does not contain lead, cadmium, or
any other heavy metal in toxic amounts as determined by testing using
State methods following the Model Toxics in Packaging Legislation;
(E) has printed on the bag, or on a tag that is permanently affixed
to the bag, the name of the manufacturer, the location (country) where
the bag was manufactured, a statement that the bag does not contain
lead, cadmium, or any other heavy metal in toxic amounts, and the
percentage of postconsumer recycled material used, if any; and (F)
if made of plastic, is a minimum of at least 2.25 mils thick as measured
according to ASTM D6988-08 or ISO 4593-1993 or ISO 4591:1992 standards.
The Director of Environmental Services or his or her designee
is authorized to approve alternate testing methods meeting this section's
requirements provided that the proposed testing standards satisfactorily
comply with the intent, quality and effectiveness in order to meet
the purposes of this chapter.
|
"Store"
means any of the following retail establishments located
within the City limits of the city of Sunnyvale:
(A)
A full-line, self-service retail store with gross annual sales
of two million dollars ($2,000,000), or more, that sells a line of
dry grocery, canned goods, or nonfood items and some perishable items;
(B)
A store of at least 10,000 square feet of retail space that sells any perishable or non-perishable goods including, but not limited to, clothing, food, or personal items, and generates sales or use tax pursuant to the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 7200) of Division
2 of the
Revenue and Taxation Code);
(C)
A drug store, pharmacy, supermarket, grocery store, convenience
food store, foodmart, or other entity engaged in the retail sale of
a limited line of goods that includes milk, bread, soda, and snack
foods, including those stores with a Type 20 or 21 license issued
by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control; or
(D)
A store or other location of less than 10,000 square feet of retail space that sells any perishable or non-perishable goods including, but not limited to, clothing, food, or personal items, and generates sales or use tax pursuant to the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 7200) of Division
2 of the
Revenue and Taxation Code), including temporary events and mobile vendors operating without a fixed place of business.
(Ord. 2965-11 § 1; Ord. 3001-13 § 1)
All stores shall provide or make available to a customer only
recyclable paper carryout bags or reusable bags for the purpose of
carrying away goods or other materials from the point of sale, subject
to the terms of this chapter. Nothing in this chapter prohibits customers
from using bags of any type that they bring to the store themselves
or from carrying away goods that are not placed in a bag, in lieu
of using bags provided by the store.
(Ord. 2965-11 § 1)
(a)
(1) Any store that provides a permitted carryout bag to a customer must
charge the customer a minimum of 10 cents ($0.10) for each bag provided,
except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(2) The minimum charge for permitted carryout bags set forth in paragraph
(1) of this subsection (a) shall be adjusted as of July 1, 2014 and
annually on July 1 thereafter to reflect changes in the San Francisco/Oakland/San
Jose Metropolitan Area Consumer Price Index (All Urban Consumers:
1982-84 = 100) (CPI-U), or successor index compiled and published
by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The index level as of December 2012 (i.e. 239.533) shall be the base
index and shall be compared with the index in subsequent years. The
minimum charge will be adjusted only when the percentage change from
the base index would result in a difference of at least $0.05 in the
minimum charge. In no event shall the adjustment exceed $0.05 per
year.
(b) No store shall rebate or otherwise reimburse a customer any portion of the charge required in subsection
(a) of this section, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(c) All
stores must indicate on the customer receipt the number of recyclable
paper carryout bags provided and the total amount charged for the
bags.
(d) All stores must retain a complete and accurate record or documents showing the total number of recyclable paper carryout bags provided, the total number of reusable bags provided and the total amount of monies collected for providing recyclable paper carryout bags and reusable bags, and a summary of any efforts a store has undertaken to promote the use of reusable bags by customers. Records will include permitted carryout bags provided free of charge per the exemptions in Section
5.38.060. Such information must be retained for a minimum period of three years from the date of purchase and made available upon request at no cost to the Director of Environmental Services.
(e) If the reporting required in subsection
(d) of this section is not timely submitted by a store, such store shall be subject to the fines set forth in Section
5.38.080.
(Ord. 2965-11 § 1; Ord. 3001-13 § 2)
Stores are strongly encouraged to educate their staff to promote
reusable bags and to post signs encouraging customers to use reusable
bags.
(Ord. 2965-11 § 1)
(a) All stores must provide at the point of sale, free of charge, permitted carryout bags to any customer participating in the California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children pursuant to Article
2 (commencing with Section 123275) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 106 of the
Health and Safety Code or in the Supplemental Food Program pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 15500) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code, or in Calfresh pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the California
Welfare and Institutions Code.
(b) This
chapter shall not apply to a charitable organization, as defined in
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or a distinct
operating unit or division of the charitable organization, that reuses
and recycles donated goods or materials and receives more than fifty
percent of its revenues from the handling and sale of those donated
goods or materials.
(Ord. 2965-11 § 1; Ord. 3001-13 § 3)
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this
chapter is for any reason held to be invalid by a decision of any
court of competent jurisdiction, that decision will not affect the
validity of the remaining portions of this chapter. The city council
hereby declares that it would have passed the ordinance codified in
this chapter and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause,
or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard
to whether any portion of this chapter would be subsequently declared
invalid.
(Ord. 2965-11 § 1)
Nothing in this chapter is intended to create any requirement,
power or duty that is in conflict with any federal or state law.
(Ord. 2965-11 § 1)