Wednesday was the day the Golden state senate decided not to bass a plastic bag bar. The state had supporters for the ban from Republican Arnold Schwartzenegger, grocers and retailers. Lobbyists for the plastic industry were hoping the ban would go via. Plastic grocery bags are used by millions of people. Plastic bags are being considered a human health hazard when killing millions of birds and marine animals as they can’t degrade. Consumers end up with a burden that isn’t needed if the plastic bags bar passes in The Golden State.
The problem in The Golden State with plastic bags
Plastic bags wouldn’t be allowed in stores in California anymore if the bill passed. It would be the first state with the ban. The Silicon Valley Mercury News made a report on the bill. It said that the bill came along because the public began to be concerned about plastic garbage hazards. According to the environmental group Save the Bay, 1 million plastic bags pollute San Francisco Bay each year. State officials said that Californians use 19 billion plastic bags a year. Collecting plastic bags for landfills costs the state a lot. In fact, it costs about $25 million a year. Since California has an $18 billion deficit, it doesn’t make sense to pay $1.7 million on the issue, according to American Chemistry Council which includes Chevron, Dow and ExxonMobil.
Plastic industry controls politicians
The American Chemistry Council led the opposition to the California plastic bag ban. The Miami Herald reports that the group, depending in Virginia, has become a fixture in The Golden State where it funds opposition to environmental bills and anti-plastic city ordinances. The council paid off politicians within the campaign. Also, it paid for TV and radio ads to run. In August at least seven state senators collected campaign donations directly from the council or its affiliates Exxon and Hilex Poly Co., a South Carolina plastic bag manufacturer.
Plastic bag ban pros and cons
The plastic bag ban in California is there specifically to get shoppers to bring reusable totes. Some California cities, including San Francisco, already have such plastic bag laws in place. Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, who authored the bill, told ABC News that it would be easier to change consumer habits than make an effort to clean up the mess. Mimi Walters, republican senator, told ABC News that “If we pass this piece of legislation, we will be sending a message to the individuals of The Golden State that we care more about banning plastic bags than helping them put food on their table.”
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
There was an estimate by the Environmental Protection Agency of how numerous plastic bags were made in 2008. Of those, 90 percent were discarded. According to the Wall Street Journal, the United States of America goes via 100 billion plastic purchasing bags annually at an estimated cost to retailers of $4 billion. In 2006, the U.N. did a study. It showed that 10 percent of all plastic end up at the bottom of the ocean. The largest concentration is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It’s the size of Texas and contains about 3.5 million tons of trash.
Further reading
Silicon Valley Mercury News
mercurynews.com/ci_15927563?source=most_emailed and nclick_check=1
Miami Herald
miamiherald.com/2010/08/26/1792991/californias-plastic-bag-ban-opponents.html
ABC News
abcnews.go.com/US/california-votes-plastic-bag-ban/story?id=11526792 and page=1
