California has long been at the forefront of the effort to ban plastic bags. San Francisco, the first city in the U.S. to ban plastic bags, started with a small and limited ban. Over time the ban grew bit by bit until the city banned them completely in 2007. Now state legislators have passed a bill that, if signed, into law will make California the first state in the nation to enact a state-wide ban on plastic shopping bags.
Is This the Right “Clean” Legislation?
SB 270 is not the “clean” pro-environment, anti-pollution bill that many supporters would have us believe. It is uncertain if Governor Brown will even sign it into law since it contains what amounts to significant tax on shoppers. This is an election year making raising taxes politically awkward for the governor, especially since in January of this year at a press conference to introduce his FY-14/15 budget, he announced that there would be no new taxes in the foreseeable future. All of which leaves the governor stuck between the political equivalent of a rock and a hard place. He is forced to choose between supporting this environmental initiative or keeping his no new taxes pledge.
One provision of the bill requires every grocery store and retailer that provides paper bags (which after plastic bags are banned will be just about all of them) must charge customers at least 10 cents per bag. This required fee is way more than the bags cost the store, resulting in a significant windfall profit for the state’s grocers. An item posted on cawrecycles.org estimates that Californians use 13 billion plastic bags a year. No wonder the California Grocers Association endorsed and supported the measure. Under the cover of government regulations they will soon be able to charge customers for something they are giving away now. It could mean billions of dollars in new profits for grocers and other retailers
Phasing Out Single-Use Plastic Bags
In a recent nytines.com article Alex Padilla, a state senator who is sponsoring legislation for a statewide ban is quoted as saying, “It has become increasingly clear to the public the environmental damage that single-use plastic bags have reaped. This bill is the beginning of the phase out of single-use plastic bags — period.”
Whether this bill becomes law or not is a bit of a moot point since many cities and counties have already enacted ordinances taxing, regulating, or outright banning plastic bags. With the single-use plastic bags we have come to love over the years being legislated into extinction, how are we supposed to get our groceries home?
The multi-use shopping bags have long been heralded as the perfect solution to the problem. In fact, the bill also includes language giving money to plastic bag manufactures in the affected area to help them strategize ways to make heavier multi-use bags. Reusable plastic bags sounds like an environmentalist dream come true. Fewer raw materials are used,there is less trash in the country’s landfills, and a reduction in the amount of litter along our streets. However, several recent studies have shown these bags to be breeding grounds for harmful bacteria including E Coli.
Before we join the rush to board the “ban the bag in favor of the good old paper bags train,” let’s take a moment to reflect and remember. Didn’t we drive the paper bag nearly to extinction in favor of plastic bags three or four decades ago?
Other States Lining Up to Ban Plastic Bags
When Honolulu County’s plastic bag ban went into effect in January of last year, it joined three other counties effectively making a statewide ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags at checkout – as well as paper bags that are not at least 40 percent recycled. Retailers in Honolulu County have until July 1, 2015 to make the change. Earlier this year, the Dallas City Council passed an ordinance imposing a tax on plastic bags.
While California lawmakers may have wanted to be the first to ban the bag statewide, it appears that Hawaii beat them to the punch. Additionally, there are already other states lining up to join the parade. Massachusetts and Washington, as well as Puerto Rico are considering state-wide bans on plastic bags and there are at least eight other states considering measures to ban, regulate, and or tax plastic bags. Will other states and municipalities follow suit? We suggest stocking up on information on the subject!