The California legislature made some major headway last month as they enacted the first plastic bag ban throughout the entire state. If the measure is signed into law on September 30th, California will be the first state in the U.S. that will ban grocery store retailers from packing purchases into single use plastic bags.
There are several cities in California and a few other cities that already have a plastic bag ban in place, but this would be the first statewide ban in America.
The bill has been up for signing in the past; however there was a large amount of pushback from the plastic bag industry. This time it is different because the state is willing to give money back from the purchases of reusable bags to help retool machines in the plastic bag factories. The goal of retooling the machines is to create more durable and reusable bags that customers can purchase.
We are at a critical juncture in deciding whether we are going to stop polluting our oceans, rivers, streams and precious lands. Plastic bags are yet another problem that man has created in the quest for convenience. Unfortunately, people have been careless and these conveniences are literally destroying our wildlife and polluting every body of water on the planet.
This is a big first step in putting a dent in the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and anywhere else it shouldn’t be. Keep your eyes open on September 30th, 2014 to see if we are one step closer to positive change and a healthier planet.
Want to learn more about what other progressive movements are happening in California? Check out our article on phasing out the purchasing of single use water bottles.
