California looks poised to become the first state in the nation to pass a plastic bag ban. Senate Bill 270, which passed out of the Assembly on a 44-29 vote, would phase out single-use plastic bags starting in 2015. A vote on the issue failed earlier this week, but it’s now expected to move through the Senate.
Passage of the bill would bring the state in line with local municipalities such as San Jose and Los Angeles, the latter of which became the largest city in the nation with a ban in place. San Jose implemented its own BYOB ordinance two years ago, banning plastic bags with few complaints from residents. As a result of the ordinance, the city reported, bag litter in storm drains, creeks and neighborhood streets plummeted by more than 50 percent.
The state currently goes through 14 billion plastic bags per year, according to analysis of the bill, with only 3 percent recycled. Lobbyists have fought the proposed ban for several years, arguing that it will result in a loss of jobs in the paper and plastic bag manufacturing industry. Right now, however, one-third of the state has some form of a ban in place.
Environmental lobbyist Mark Murray told the Mercury News that the bill’s passage out of the Assembly on Thursday was due to an “overwhelming success of this policy at the local level.” With a last-minute provision tacking on a 10-cent paper bag fee, which is part of San Jose’s model, the bill pushed overcame this week’s lobbying onslaught.
The State Senate is expected to hear the bill Friday. It must receive approval by Sunday, because the legislative session ends Aug. 31.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the estimated amount of bags used each year in California. San Jose Inside regrets the error.
14 billion tons of plastic bags discarded every year in California. That’s 28 TRILLION pounds, nearly a million pounds for every man, woman, and child. This has to stop now! Thanks for the wakeup call.
The Senate Bill actually states it is 14 billion bags, not tons. That is very roughly about 1 plastic bag per person, per day for a year, in California. Using a rough weight of 5 grams per bag, that is very roughly 4-5 pounds of plastic bags for every person in California for a year, not “nearly a million pounds.”
http://www.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_one_plastic_bag_weigh
Low-information in action.
Do you have ANY clue how much 28 trillion pounds is?
SJI,
Your article is incorrect. It states 14 billion bags are used in California annually, not 14 billion tons, as your article stated.
Your article is incorrect.
SJI only gets the time correct twice a day.
SJI/Alice Yin….I noticed you corrected your article.
Until last year, the Assembly could not pass a budget by the constitutional deadline for the past several years. But, this monumental piece of highly important legislation flew through the Assembly like a hot knife through butter. This is the prioritiy of the morons this state full of morons keeps re-electing!