Cities and counties across the state have slowly been banning plastic bags, despite the opposition of plastic bag lobbyists. Single use plastic bags are the most prevalent form of trash found on the county’s beaches, and end up adding to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The county is considering a ban on bags in all unincorporated areas, but many activists claim that the current approach, operating piecemeal from city to city, is not the best strategy.
The hope to change that soon with Assembly Bill 1998, a statewide bill, which would ban the use of plastic bags in groceries, convenience stores, and pharmacies. The bill would still allow customers to ask for paper bags as an alternative, but there would be a 10 cent fee for each bag. The bill is expected to come up for a vote by Friday.
In preparation for this, advocates of the statewide ban gathered in Natural Bridges State Beach to voice their support for the ban. Among the participants was County Supervisor Mark Stone, who held up a vial of sea water polluted by plastic to show how bags and other discarded plastics are already polluting the ocean. Yet even he admits that legislation is only the first step. The real challenge, he says, lies in getting consumers to change their habits and expect plastic bags whenever they go shopping. That could be a long time coming.
Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
