SACRAMENTO Calif. (Reuters) - The California state legislature enacted a ban on plastic grocery bags on Friday near the end of its two-year session, a measure that if signed into law would become the first of its kind in America.
A number of cities and counties in California and other U.S. states, including Hawaii's Maui County, have made it illegal for grocery stores to pack purchases in plastic. But at the state level, opposition from plastic bag makers has usually prevailed.
The California Senate voted 22-15 for the bill, which must be signed into law by Sept. 30 by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, who has not signaled a position on the measure.
"Single-use plastic bags not only litter our beaches, but also our mountains, our deserts, and our rivers, streams and lakes," said state Senator Alex Padilla, who sponsored the bill.
Padilla backed a similar measure last year but it failed by three votes. The fate of this bill was uncertain until the waning hours of the session after falling three votes short in the state's Assembly on Monday.
But after picking up the support of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the bill passed a second vote in the Assembly.
The measure would ban grocery stores from handing out single-use grocery bags with customers' purchases, and provide money to local plastic bag companies to retool to make heavier, multiple-use bags that customers could buy.
Environmentalists have pushed for banning plastic bags, which are cheaper for supermarkets to use than paper bags, but create mountains of trash that is difficult to recycle. In California, there is particular concern that the bags, when swept out to sea, could harm ocean life.
After the defeat of his earlier bill, Padilla won the support of some California-based bag makers by including the funding for retooling. But in recent months, out-of-state manufacturers campaigned against the bill, even producing television advertisements targeting Padilla, who is running for secretary of state.
Cathy Browne, general manager at Crown Poly, a plastic bag manufacturer in Huntington Park, California, said the bill would lead to layoffs at companies like hers.
More than 10 billion plastic bags are used in California each year, according to an estimate by Californians Against Waste, an advocacy group supporting the bill.
I always have issues when I tell a cashier I don't need a bag and I'll just carry my item.
They'll either look at me weird or they won't put that item in a bag but then proceed to put the other item in a bag. It's like I need to specify that each item doesn't need a bag.
Or they'll try to give me 2 bags for no reason when things will fit in 1 bag. So always have to say 1 bag is fine.
Post by alleinesein on Aug 31, 2014 1:01:28 GMT -5
We actually reuse our plastic bags so this is only going to make us have to buy more plastic bags in order to have them in the house. We use them when we scoop the litter boxes. We already use our nice costco bags for shopping at the grocery store but its nice to get a few free plastic bags a month just for litter disposal.
We actually reuse our plastic bags so this is only going to make us have to buy more plastic bags in order to have them in the house. We use them when we scoop the litter boxes. We already use our nice costco bags for shopping at the grocery store but its nice to get a few free plastic bags a month just for litter disposal.
Yeah, this is us too, but now that I think about it, it can probably go in a double paper bag. I probably shouldn't be putting something biodegradable into a plastic bag.
We actually reuse our plastic bags so this is only going to make us have to buy more plastic bags in order to have them in the house. We use them when we scoop the litter boxes. We already use our nice costco bags for shopping at the grocery store but its nice to get a few free plastic bags a month just for litter disposal.
Post by lasagnasshole on Aug 31, 2014 9:11:11 GMT -5
Even for those people who use plastic bags for things like cat litter, I still think it's better for people to buy plastic bags and use them intentionally. The problem with plastic grocery bags and the like is that they end up EVERYWHERE - in storm sewers, in lakes, etc.
Even for those people who use plastic bags for things like cat litter, I still think it's better for people to buy plastic bags and use them intentionally. The problem with plastic grocery bags and the like is that they end up EVERYWHERE - in storm sewers, in lakes, etc.
I agree with this. The way things are now, people just hand out and use plastic bags all willy nilly. I think that's the thing that bugs me the most. Cashiers double bag when unnecessary, use 3 bags when things could fit in to 1, etc. If people were more conscious about it, it'd make a big difference.
Same thing could be said for paper towels. I forget the exact statistic, but there is a Ted talk on how to use just 1 paper towel instead of multiple after washing your hands and if everyone did that it'd cut down on waste by a shockingly large amount.
Even for those people who use plastic bags for things like cat litter, I still think it's better for people to buy plastic bags and use them intentionally. The problem with plastic grocery bags and the like is that they end up EVERYWHERE - in storm sewers, in lakes, etc.
I agree with this. The way things are now, people just hand out and use plastic bags all willy nilly. I think that's the thing that bugs me the most. Cashiers double bag when unnecessary, use 3 bags when things could fit in to 1, etc. If people were more conscious about it, it'd make a big difference.
Same thing could be said for paper towels. I forget the exact statistic, but there is a Ted talk on how to use just 1 paper towel instead of multiple after washing your hands and if everyone did that it'd cut down on waste by a shockingly large amount.
Paper towels and my husband drive me bonkers. I try to only use paper towels for cat vomit and bacon grease and to use rags for everything else. OMG. H uses paper towels for everything. He also leaves the lights on in every room. STOP IT!
Even for those people who use plastic bags for things like cat litter, I still think it's better for people to buy plastic bags and use them intentionally. The problem with plastic grocery bags and the like is that they end up EVERYWHERE - in storm sewers, in lakes, etc.
I agree with this. The way things are now, people just hand out and use plastic bags all willy nilly. I think that's the thing that bugs me the most. Cashiers double bag when unnecessary, use 3 bags when things could fit in to 1, etc. If people were more conscious about it, it'd make a big difference.
Same thing could be said for paper towels. I forget the exact statistic, but there is a Ted talk on how to use just 1 paper towel instead of multiple after washing your hands and if everyone did that it'd cut down on waste by a shockingly large amount.
This is exactly it. Now, when I happen to be in a municipality that doesn't ban plastic bags (here in the sprawling suburbs it's easy to forget what city you're in), someone will just put my stuff in a bag - or two! - and I'm all WTF are you doing just handing those things out like candy?!?!
We used the plastic bags as trash can liners too, but it's NBD to buy and I do think we use them more judiciously.
It's just a really easy way to change the default behavior. Paper bags are still available and only $0.10, but the fact that they ask - and esp that they don't assume and just toss your stuff in - makes you think half a beat about how to make due w/o.
The only place it's annoying is the farmers market. They can have plastic bags, but they can't have handles (they have to be like produce bags, rather than grocery bags). They just cut through one handle.
Post by penguingrrl on Aug 31, 2014 10:18:55 GMT -5
I like a ban on this. On the rare occasion that I forget my reuseable bags at the store the cashiers drive me batty with how they pack the plastic bags. It's like they think you can only put 1-2 items per bag and a single grocery trip gives me a huge pile of bags. I reuse them for cat litter and small trash cans, but will easily find another item for those purposes.
We actually reuse our plastic bags so this is only going to make us have to buy more plastic bags in order to have them in the house. We use them when we scoop the litter boxes. We already use our nice costco bags for shopping at the grocery store but its nice to get a few free plastic bags a month just for litter disposal.
Seattle did away with plastic bags a few years ago. We still have plenty to use for our two dogs and cat since so many things come in plastic bags - bread products, veggies, the newspaper that's delivered, etc. We've never had to buy extra plastic bags.
I agree with this. The way things are now, people just hand out and use plastic bags all willy nilly. I think that's the thing that bugs me the most. Cashiers double bag when unnecessary, use 3 bags when things could fit in to 1, etc. If people were more conscious about it, it'd make a big difference.
Same thing could be said for paper towels. I forget the exact statistic, but there is a Ted talk on how to use just 1 paper towel instead of multiple after washing your hands and if everyone did that it'd cut down on waste by a shockingly large amount.
It's just a really easy way to change the default behavior. Paper bags are still available and only $0.10, but the fact that they ask - and esp that they don't assume and just toss your stuff in - makes you think half a beat about how to make due w/o.
Yep exactly!
In S. Africa plastic bags are the equivalent of 1 cent. But the cashiers always ask if you'd like a bag. The default is to not get a bag. You still see plastic bags used somewhat regularly, but not to the extreme as here. They stuff your bags full if you need them.
We actually reuse our plastic bags so this is only going to make us have to buy more plastic bags in order to have them in the house. We use them when we scoop the litter boxes. We already use our nice costco bags for shopping at the grocery store but its nice to get a few free plastic bags a month just for litter disposal.
Seattle did away with plastic bags a few years ago. We still have plenty to use for our two dogs and cat since so many things come in plastic bags - bread products, veggies, the newspaper that's delivered, etc. We've never had to buy extra plastic bags.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using proboards
Same here. We've never had a problem running short on plastic for our dog's poop - we just use the multitude of other options for plastic bags. I suppose we'd be in trouble if we never bought bread and tortillas and vegetables and fruits at the grocery store, but I think it's a pretty small portion of the population who shops exclusively at the farmer's market with reusable bags.
Even if people have to buy bags, I'd rather have some subset of the population buying plastic purposefully for what they need than having most people end up with a bazillion bags they don't actually need.
Post by meshaliuknits on Aug 31, 2014 10:39:38 GMT -5
Suck it west county, you're getting the ban anyway.
*insert Psych suck it gif*
We use plastic bags for cat litter too, but I've gotten more creative about what I use. The bag the bread came in, the bag the pasta came in, stuff like that. When I run out, I get a new one.
H is frequently on my list for using a paper towel instead of a plate. I use the paper towels for cat puke & cleaning up murdered ants.
Even for those people who use plastic bags for things like cat litter, I still think it's better for people to buy plastic bags and use them intentionally. The problem with plastic grocery bags and the like is that they end up EVERYWHERE - in storm sewers, in lakes, etc.
I agree. We have two cats and two litter boxes. I just have this little Simplehuman trash can (and the trash bags that are designed to go with it) that I scoop the litter into once a day. Once a week I take the bag out with the trash. It smells when I open the trash can to scoop the litter, but not when it is closed. I don't think one bag a week is too bad.
ETA: When I was getting all my groceries, Target, and Petsmart items in plastic bags, I must have been coming home with 20+ bags/week, which is WAY more than the one bag/week I actually need for kitty litter scooping purposes.
Suck it west county, you're getting the ban anyway.
*insert Psych suck it gif*
We use plastic bags for cat litter too, but I've gotten more creative about what I use. The bag the bread came in, the bag the pasta came in, stuff like that. When I run out, I get a new one.
H is frequently on my list for using a paper towel instead of a plate. I use the paper towels for cat puke & cleaning up murdered ants.
Sent from my EVO
I like how everyone in this thread uses paper towels for cat puke. I do the same thing, but I also use them for patting dry raw meat, like chicken and beef. I'm not using a towel on raw chicken. If I did that, I'd have to put it in the wash right away, and that would just require me to run the washing machine almost daily.
We actually reuse our plastic bags so this is only going to make us have to buy more plastic bags in order to have them in the house. We use them when we scoop the litter boxes. We already use our nice costco bags for shopping at the grocery store but its nice to get a few free plastic bags a month just for litter disposal.
Can you scoop in to paper bags?
We have 10 cats and their boxes get scooped 2-3 times a day. We would have to use 20+ lunch sized paper bags just to get all of the cat crap!
Post by miniroller on Aug 31, 2014 11:05:50 GMT -5
I live in the Midwest, so kinda the opposite of CA. Nonetheless, I have definitely noticed an increase of shoppers bringing reusable bags on my grocery trips. As pleased as this makes me, I've also noticed a coinciding increase in the cashiers' frustration when I place my bags on top of the plastic bagging area. And I've definitely worked to make it as easy as possible/ help if I can. This just goes along with the double-bagging frustration, etc. I definitely wish stores would start instituting a small environmental educational awareness blurb in training. I'm not sure how much difference it would make, but it's a start? And it SAVES $$ for the retailers!!! Which is what it comes down to in almost all other situations! Where's the hesitation in implementing reusable bag acceptance, Midwest? Grrr...
We have 10 cats and their boxes get scooped 2-3 times a day. We would have to use 20+ lunch sized paper bags just to get all of the cat crap!
Wow that's a lot of cats I did mean the large paper shopping bags though. But even if you have to buy plastic bags, I think it's better than current practices of overuse of plastic bags.
We also use plastic bags for the dogs, trash, etc. however I do agree sometimes they double bag for no good reason and we really don't need as many as we get. We also buy the dog poop bags, but those are plastic as well.
As for paper towels, I admit we use a ton, but I love them. We buy rags for the cleaning people, but I love paper towels and have enough laundry without washing rags.
You come up with the most bizarre excuses for shit like this
We use rags for everything but bacon grease. But since my rags aren't the size of bedspreads, they fit nicely into existing laundry loads.
We actually reuse our plastic bags so this is only going to make us have to buy more plastic bags in order to have them in the house. We use them when we scoop the litter boxes. We already use our nice costco bags for shopping at the grocery store but its nice to get a few free plastic bags a month just for litter disposal.
I live in the Midwest, so kinda the opposite of CA. Nonetheless, I have definitely noticed an increase of shoppers bringing reusable bags on my grocery trips. As pleased as this makes me, I've also noticed a coinciding increase in the cashiers' frustration when I place my bags on top of the plastic bagging area. And I've definitely worked to make it as easy as possible/ help if I can. This just goes along with the double-bagging frustration, etc. I definitely wish stores would start instituting a small environmental educational awareness blurb in training. I'm not sure how much difference it would make, but it's a start? And it SAVES $$ for the retailers!!! Which is what it comes down to in almost all other situations! Where's the hesitation in implementing reusable bag acceptance, Midwest? Grrr...
I'm in the Midwest too and I'm slowly starting to see other people use reusable bags, interestingly enough a lot of them are older women which is cool, but I still get a ton of weird looks using mine. And there's one grocery store here where I've just given up because the cashiers are so horrible about putting stuff in the bags. One time a cashier put the items into a plastic bag and then into my reusable bag before I could stop her. Wtf. I don't shop there a ton or get much there so I've just sort of given up, which is bad I know. I love the stores with self checkouts because I can just do it myself.