Plastic bags are wreaking havoc on marine habitats along the coastline, and they’re accumulating in California’s waterways – adding further pollution to our state’s water supply even in this time of extreme drought.
This simply can’t continue. Not anymore.
Single-use plastic bags are causing extensive harm, and it’s never been more clear that they should be banned statewide.
http://ecovote.org/PassTheBagBan »
SB 270 is the new bill that would ban single-use plastic bags on a statewide level. This bill is different from anything we’ve seen before, perhaps most obviously because it’s got momentum. SB 270 already has more support than any previous bag ban proposals – including key lawmakers who opposed those past measures – but we’re not quite there yet.
As someone who is in Sacramento and in the Capitol day-in and day-out, let me tell you — right now, people are excited about SB 270, and what we do with that excitement could make all the difference. This momentum, strong as it is, won’t be enough to get us over the finish line until legislators start hearing from voters like you.
Here are the facts:
- Californians use an astonishing 20 billion plastic bags every year. Plastic bags are rarely recycled and are littered at a high rate, contributing to marine pollution as well as urban litter pollution.
- Plastic bags ultimately end up in the ocean, where 60-80% of all marine debris is plastic.
- It’s time for the California legislature to follow the lead of 90 of our cities and counties – including Los Angeles and San Francisco – and ban single-use plastic bags.
The move away from plastic bags will not only protect our environment – it will also benefit California’s economy. Only 3 percent of the bags are recycled. The state currently spends about $25 million annually to collect and dispose of the billions of plastic bags used every year. Local agencies spend millions more to clean up and dispose of the bags.
SB 270, which would ban single-use carry-out bags in California grocery stores starting July 1, 2015, and extend the ban to pharmacies and liquor stores in 2016. Contact your California Assemblymember about SB 270 today.
