California Plastic Bag Ban Rejected by Lobbyists

Photo by Sekiahn via flickr

What would have been the first bill to support a  statewide ban on plastic bags, failed late Tuesday evening. The bill was rejected after a debate over whether the state was overstepping their boundaries in trying to oppress the personal choice of residents.

Though plastic bags have already been banned in a few cities in California already, the potential statewide ban was a much anticipated move for many eco-minded California residents. It provided a perfect opportunity for the state to set a good example for the rest of the country and pave the way for a greener world, through conscious consumer practices.

The 19 billion plastic bags used by state residents every year are extremely harmful to the environment and cost the state $25 million annually just to transport to landfills. But the plastic bag manufacturing industry has respectively called it “a job killer” in the recent whirlwind of furious lobbying.

Democratic Assemblywoman Julia Brownley of Santa Monica, said lawmakers have failed Californians by defeating the measure, and the movement to ban plastic bags would continue despite the setback.

“If we don’t solve this problem today, if we don’t create a statewide standard, if we don’t provide the leadership that is being called for, others will,” said Sen. Gil Cedillo during Tuesday night’s debate.

Recently, officials in Redondo Beach, Santa Monica and Los Angeles County said they would set examples in their own communities if the bill didn’t pass, according to Heal the Bay.

AB 1999 would have been implemented in supermarkets and large retail stores in 2012, then put into effect in smaller stores by 2013, if approved. It would have put the whole state of California on the map for progressive environmental action, rather than just a few sporadic, liberal cities.

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