California poised to ban plastic bags

Los Angeles Times ^ | May 28, 2010 | Susan Carpenter

[KingofZion]

Legislation that would ban many California stores from giving away single-use plastic bags has taken a step closer to becoming law. AB 1998 was passed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Friday and will be voted upon next Friday by the full Assembly. If passed and signed by the governor, the law would go into effect Jan. 1, 2012.

Each year, Californians use 19 billion plastic bags, only 5% of which are recycled, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board. The average California resident uses 600 plastic bags per year.

"This legislation starts breaking our addiction to single-use plastic packaging, which has gotten completely out of control," said Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based environmental group supporting AB 1998.

***

Over the past couple of years, numerous California cities have proposed plastic-bag bans; five cities have passed them, including Malibu and San Francisco.

Uniformity is the main reason the California Grocers Assn. is supporting the bill.

"There have been a number of different proposals and different cities have approached this in different ways," said Dave Heylen, spokesman for the California Grocers Assn. in Sacramento, a group that represents 500 retail grocery companies that operate 8,000 stores in California. "This bill would impact supermarkets, chain pharmacies, local neighborhood markets, convenience stores and liquor stores, so this bill provides a uniform statewide standard to help level the playing field among food retailers."

Heylen added that single-use, carry-out bags bring the most environmental gain with the least competitive disruption for retailers.

"We think this could be historic legislation that is a model for other states to follow," said Gina Goodhill, oceans advocate for the L.A.-based environmental group, Environment California.

[KingofZion]

Time to stock up on bags. I see a profit center here. Collect bags now and resell when they are scarce.

Note to environmentalists: Not too good for forests.

Note to grocers: When you lie with the devil, you will get what you deserve.

[Mr. K]

Remember when they wanted to ban PAPER bags?

because plastic was recyclable!! and paper bags killed trees

[BobL]

Sam’s has them by the thousands. They call them Tee-Shirt Bags. But better hurry, as there will DEFINITELY be a run on them.

[omega4179]

I will just eat off the mcdonalds dollar menu and boycott all of them.

[diamond6]

Wonderful!!! I use these things to wrap up my kid’s dirty diapers.

[muawiyah]

I have lots and lots of plastic bags. We will send them to the inlaws in California.

[maine yankee]

“You picked the wrong day to mess with the green police !”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFzE6U6ndFc

[rbg81]

Well, thank G-d they’re tackling REAL problems out in CA!

[GreenStreak]

“single-use plastic bags”

They are NOT single use. I take my lunch in them, bring them home and them use them for garbage bags.

[samadams2000]

Hey I use those bags to throw away my old batteries!!!!

[w1andsodidwe]

Let's see the state is approaching bankruptcy, but the legislators have nothing better to do than mandate what kind of bags we use.

From now I instead of calling them greenies is will refer to them as inconveniencers.

[Sudetenland]

With apologies,

The Green Police they live inside of my head,
The Green Police they come to me in my bed . . .

[Sudetenland]

Yeah, and the plastic milk jugs filled with the use oil from my car . . . :)

[TruthConquers]

“Remember when they wanted to ban PAPER bags?

...because plastic was recyclable!! and paper bags killed trees”

I REMEMBER, those phony hypocrites.

[truthguy]

Fools, idiots, and morons. There's no sanity for the California Legislature. The idiot Schwarzenegger will sign it as well. I use the bags from the store all the time around the house. I have to take these bags to the local dog park because the city doesn't furnish bags for cleanup and we are legally responsible to pick up for our dogs.

STUPIDITY SQUARED- California Democrats-dumber than a box of rocks.

[ExTexasRedhead]

The Liberal morons in the CA Assembly are worried about everything but the real issues of high unemployment, a mass exodus from the State, small businesses going under, and the fact that the state is bankrupt.

California, the home of Liberal Insanity.

[WestTexasWend]

What’s next...a ban on pots to pi$$ in?

Considering the shape CA is in, how people carry their purchases is the least of their problems.

[TruthConquers]

“Time to stock up on bags.”

I have been doing that for sometime. I figured when the dollar collapses, ANYthing made with oil with be rare.

[truthguy]

They are NOT single use. I take my lunch in them, bring them home and them use them for garbage bags.

Read my comment @15. I also use these bags around the house and we use them extensively at the dog park I go to. Now I may have to purchase the damn things. What a bunch of morons we have in this state legislature. You can depend on muscle brain Arnold to sign the bill.

[combat_boots]

Well, has anyone ever seen the pix or articles on the Pacific or Atlantic Garbage Patches?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch