Playing Plastic Politics

Plastic bag bans are really taking off all over the world. It seems each week brings with it reports of new bans. The beginning of this month brought us  a ban on Maui and Kauai taking effect, a Brownsville, TX ban, a South Padre Island, TX vote in favor of a bag ban, a bag ban for Kenya, Bulgaria set to charge a plastic bag tax and Oregon now expected to pass a statewide ban this legislative session (which would make it the first state to ban bags in the US). Each ban may differ in its enforcement and implementation but all of them move us in a more sustainable direction. What a way to celebrate the New Year!

But with all the good news, hurdles still remain for bag bans in California. In Marin County, a bag ban effort was thwarted last week when the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition threatened to sue the county if it went through with its ban. The group and its lawyer Stephen Joseph contend that banning plastic bags is actually bad for the environment. They say that banning plastic will lead folks to paper, also environmentally damaging. Haven’t they ever heard of a reusable bag? The group  wants Marin County to complete an environmental impact report. Otherwise it says it will bring a lawsuit against the county. Save the Plastic Bag is suing the City of Manhattan Beach on the same grounds. Marin is currently planning what to do next, reviewing the coalition’s threat and trying to move forward.

In the meantime, let’s get the City of Los Angeles to join the many others who have banned plastic bags. Sign this petition urging the City of L.A. to be the next bag-banner!