Great news for the environment occurred last night, when CA government voted to ban single-use plastic bags across the state. “The bill, SB 270, will phase out single-use plastic bags in grocery stores and pharmacies beginning July 2015, and in convenience stores one year later, and create a mandatory minimum ten-cent fee for recycled paper, reusable plastic and compostable bags” states Stephanie Spear, author at EcoWatch, who wrote California Bans Plastic Bags. If the already agreed upon bill is signed by the CA governor, California will be the first state to ban these environmentally un-friendly products.
“More than 120 California local governments have already banned single-use plastic bags with more than 1 in 3 Californians already living somewhere with a plastic bag ban in place, in an effort to drive consumers towards sustainable behavior change,” affirms Spear. With such a large amount of the population already embracing the plastic ban bag, this measure will have little difficulty being implemented. Reusable and recycled bags are available all over! The sarcastic well-known television show Portlandia created a hilarious sketch on a gentleman who goes into a store without a bag, and has to endure the mocking because of it.
Join in the laughter and watch the scene here!
This new bill encourages consumer behavior change, healthier environmental choices, and the expansion of the California job market. Not to mention, a plastic bag ban would save taxpayers tons of money usually spent on litter clean-up!
Senate Bill 270 will:
◦ Increase the use of recycled content for reusable plastic bags to promote recycling and California manufacturing. In 2016, bags will be required to have 20 percent recycled content and in 2020 be made of 40 percent recycled content.
◦ Support recycling of agriculture plastic film, which is currently sent to landfills.
◦ Require large grocery store chains to take back used bags for continued recycling.
◦ Require third party certification of reusable plastic bags to ensure compliance with bag standards, which support California manufacturing.
◦ Grandfathers existing local ordinances related to grocery bags.
Environmentalists have known for ages that litter has been washing into the ocean and causing damage to sea life (not to mention our climate). One example is,
“Plastic bags create a direct threat to wildlife, like the Pacific leatherback sea turtles, that mistake the bags for food. A study of more than 370 leatherback sea turtle autopsies found that one in three had plastic in their stomach, most often a plastic bag. Plastic bags are also one of the most common items littered on California’s beaches according to Ocean Conservancy’s annual beach cleanup data, according to Ocean Conservancy.”
Whether you live in California or somewhere else in the world, join us in recycling and using reusable bags! Any bag will work! Make one, personalize one, or just reuse a shopping bag! Think of the bigger picture. Even a little decision can change lives!
To read the full article, go here!
For more eco friendly news, check out EcoWatch!
