California Bill AB 1998 Seeks To Ban Plastic Bags

Terry -

Where does the data come from that purports that paper bags are worse for the environment than plastic? The plastics industry! Weird.

Additionally, you point out that "In one Texas study of road side trash, less than five percent were plastic bags, paper products were over sixty percent. Are we going to ban paper?", failing to mention that paper naturally decomposes and plastic doesn't (a process which creates GHG, one area where paper gets a knock).

I'd much rather have my paper decomposing, creating a bit of GHG in the process (as other naturally decaying plant matter does), than billions of plastic bags blowing around for all eternity....

Our number one priority should be to REDUCE the resources we use to make our products. Plastic bags are made from petroleum, I hope I don't have to explain myself there. It's not all about where they end up, but the energy and waste they created in the first place. And with our unbelievable level of consumerism, they are definitely a problem.

Hi Terry,

#1: Less than 3% of plastic bags are recycled, which means it's not working.
#2: Should we have halted progress to our telephone system do to telephone operators lossing their jobs? The world changes and so will people. It's called progress.

Everyone please vote YES on California bill AB 1998

Here's a fun photo: http://tinyurl.com/2ehdut7

I live in Newport. On my way to my favorite restaurant, I walk along the beach and see the occasional piece of plastic trash, even a plastic bag blowing in the wind. When I sit down to order dinner I would love to have my number one choice, swordfish, but I can't eat it anymore... it is laced with mercury from a coal fired China. Everyone sees the bag blowing in the wind, the mercury is "invisible". Plastic bags are an easy target for the environmental movement to mobilize around, but they are not poisoning our environment like coal sourced mercury, pesticides, and the myriad of other toxic compounds. In the Pacific Gyre less than 3 % are plastic bags.

Public perception needs to change... Plastic has a much smaller environmental footprint than paper, that is a fact! It is not even in the same league as toxins mentioned above. Plastic manufacturers are very GREEN and have been for a long time. The problem is with the end user and how they recycled. My home town is a shinning example of recycling. Newport employs a sorting line before the trash is hauled to the landfill, over 93% of the plastic products, including bags, are recycled, (plastic recycling uses no water and a fraction of the energy when compared to paper).

The litter problem on our highways in the 1960's was not solved by banning soda cans and paper bags. The plastic bag ban is misguided, it will do little to clean up California but will put a lot of people out of work. In one Texas study of road side trash, less than five percent were plastic bags, paper products were over sixty percent. Are we going to ban paper? We need to solve problems not around a kitchen table in Marin County, but put the focus on what is killing us. This ban will make GreenBag feel good but solve the trash problem.

I support litter clean up efforts and increasing recycling. Take action that makes a difference, not a band-aid... vote NO on AB 1998.

Thank you,

Terry Clark
Newport Beach