Dive Brief:
- California could be the first state to enact a plastic bag ban; the state Assembly passed the legislation on Thursday, mere days after it was initially rejected by lawmakers.
- The measure will now move to the state Senate, where it is expected to pass today.
- Senate Bill 270 was lauded by environmentalists who saw it as a way to reduce a waste product that kills marine life. The ban was opposed by plastic and dapper bag manufacturers.
Dive Insight:
Criticisms surrounding the bag ban centered largely on the $0.10 fees levied on consumers at the point of purchase for using paper and plastic bags. Many assembly members saw the fee as a punishment for the poor. Environmental groups retorted that certain provisions in the bill will shield low-income customers, since any person qualified to receive food stamps will receive bags at no cost in the checkout line.
If the bag ban wins Senate approval, beginning on July 1, 2015, stores -- including grocery markets and pharmacies -- would be banned from offering complimentary plastic bags to consumers. Shoppers who forget their reusable bags will be charged a 10 cent fee for every bag they need, and bags offered at stores must be recyclable or reusable. The bag ban is expected to launch growth for some plastic bag manufacturers who say they will ramp up production of recyclable bags.
Since more than 100 cities across the state already have bans in place, existing ordinances will be grandfathered in -- but the requirements of the bill would supersede any regulations passed after the bill goes into effect.