California governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation that will make single-use plastic shopping bags a thing of the past.
California governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation that will make single-use plastic shopping bags a thing of the past.
The statewide ban will progress in stages and start with big grocers. By 2016 the phasing out process will reach convenience stores and pharmacies.
Paper bags will remain available provided the store charges a minimum of 10 cents apiece.
Due to controversy over that charge being a lightly veiled means of taking from the poor and giving to the wealthy grocers and unions, there is a fee exception in place for people on public assistance.
Stores will also be subject to rules that outline how paper bag profits can be spent.
Many environmental groups are calling the ban a big win.
Plastic bag manufacturers are not.
One trade group estimated that the switch from disposable plastic to durable materials will result in the loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs.
Only moments after Governor Brown announced that the bill had been signed, they began collecting signatures to have it overturned.
The group’s goal is to include a referendum on the 2016 ballot, allowing individuals to vote on the matter.
California is the first state to pass such legislation, but similar proposals are making the rounds in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico.