Do you have your reusable grocery bags with you when you shop? Reporter Caitlin Logan says that next year it’ll cost you if you don’t…
California is poised to become the first state in the nation to enact a statewide ban on single-use grocery store plastic bags. While opponents argue it will cost consumers and businesses money, advocates say the ban is the first step in putting an end to 30 years of single-use plastic bag litter, which never decomposes. Bill Hickman, CEO of Cleanups for Change, says his organization is excited about the plastic bag ban. “It gets rid of one of the top litter items we find at beach cleanups, and cleanups inland.” Belinda Smith, a partner with Gary Manufacturing, says her concern is preserving the state’s quality of life. “California spends more than $40 billion a year on cleanups,” she explains. A ban wouldn’t take effect until 2015, and stores would offer paper bags, reusable plastic bags or compostable bags for a 10-cent fee.
