Other states target bags that replaced plastic ones
Twenty-one states in all have plastic-bag bans enacted in one or more of its municipalities — a movement started in San Francisco, in 2007.
All by itself, California has 120 ordinances adopted. A campaign that won lawmakers’ approval for the nation’s first statewide ban in 2014 was sidelined by plastic-bag manufacturers, who garnered enough signatures to put a proposal to nullify the law on the ballot.
That vote happens in November and, according to some polls, the statewide ban is likely to survive and go into effect.
Ironically, a second item the industry got on the California ballot would redirect proceeds retailers make from the sale of paper and reusable bags to an environmental fund. This measure is being characterized by critics as the industry’s revenge against the stores for selling the competing bags.
But California isn’t the only place with political drama in the bag. Chicago is extending its ban to smaller chain stores in August. Minneapolis just passed a ban and 5-cent charge on paper and reusable bags, to go into effect next June.
And in May 5, the Big Apple got on board when the New York City Council passed a 5-cent fee on both paper and plastic carryout bags, starting Oct. 1. Advocates watching from Hawaii see that as a big win.
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“People say plastic bags are the New York state flower, because they are in every bush and tree,’” said Stuart Coleman of the environmental group Surfrider Foundation. “We don’t want that to happen to us.”
5 responses to “Other states target bags that replaced plastic ones”
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Since this article/letter-to-the-editor is essentially the same as another article on the subject, I’ll just repost my comment from the other article: And for responsible people like myself who would reuse those disposable plastic bags for garbage/trash and toting items to gatherings, etc.; I’m being punished by having to BUY kitchen-type trash bags. Thanks a lot environmentalists and politicians, for increasing my cost of living and helping fill the landfills with single-use, purchased, thicker, plastic trash bags. And thanks for nothing again to the environmentalists and politicians for the “bottle tax”, even though we have city-issued recycle bins for that purpose.
This sounds like a big money grab by radical environmentalists to further their radical agenda. The bad results associated with this kooky bag ban are higher costs, more theft, and inconvenience for shoppers, especially the Kupuna. With our liberal, one corrupt Democrat Party government, we have to be vigilant to make sure that this special interest payback doesn’t go any further than this editorial.
Put profits from the sale replacement bags in an environmental fund — no way. The environmentalist just want to build a war chest and work us over even worse.
How did my comment on this editorial get censored? It was legitimate.
It is just another tax.