July 26, 2010
Contact: Lesli Daniel - leslihiker@gmail.com

Californians use approximately 19 billion single use plastic bags each year.  However, less than 5% of all single use plastic bags are recycled.  Instead, many of these plastic bags become litter in our oceans and our communities.  The California legislature is poised to pass a bill banning single-use plastic bags, and the Governor has said he’ll sign it.  But there is stiff opposition from the American Chemistry Council and other industry groups. 

There have been several attempts to pass single-use bag bans since 2006, but this year we have a viable bill in AB 1998 authored by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D - Santa Monica).  This bill has the backing of grocers, labor, environmental groups (including Sierra Club California), and ocean protection groups.  The Governor has said he’ll sign it.  Now we just need that extra push from you to get it through the Senate. 

Please take action NOW and send a letter to your senator!

Single-use bags have several environmental impacts:

Ocean Pollution - An estimated 60-80% of marine debris is from plastics, and 90% of the floating debris is plastic .  Eliminating single-use plastic bags is one way we can stop growing the North Pacific Trash Gyre, which is now estimated to be the size of the United States .           

Litter - The aerodynamics of single-use plastic bags have made them a huge source of litter.  They are the second most common waste collected during coastal cleanups .

Hidden Costs - You might think that single-use bags are free, but is estimated that it costs $18-$30/year on your grocery bill .  Then there are the millions of taxpayer dollars spent on litter abatement and recycling .          

Harm Wildlife - Plastic bags (which resemble jelly fish in the water) or pieces of plastic bags can easily be mistaken for food or prey by seabirds, marine mammals, fish, and sea turtles. Littered plastic items harm hundreds of wildlife species, some of which are threatened or endangered species. A 1997 study found that at least 267 species have been affected by ingestion of or entanglement in marine debris worldwide . Currently, 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all marine mammal species, have had reported problems of entanglement or ingestion of marine debris . Plastic bags were the most common plastic item found in the digestive tract of 408 leatherback sea turtles according to a 2009 study that reviewed historical necropsies .

Recycling isn’t the answer.  The California Legislature enacted a law in 2006 that required grocery stores and pharmacies to recycle single-use bags, but that program is capturing less than 5% of bags .

AB 1998 would:

• Ban single-use plastic bags at grocery stores, retail pharmacies and convenience stores.
• Offer recycled-content paper bags for a minimum fee of $0.05/bag.
• Require the sale of reusable bags.
• Does not apply to bags for bulk items (e.g. produce) or raw meat.

Please send a letter to the California Senate supporting AB 1998 The Single-Use Bag Reduction Act.

To learn more, visit www.HealTheBay.org.

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