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REGION: Plastic-bag recycling law clears Assembly, heads for Senate
By DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer | ∞
Michael McDaniel puts a plastic grocery bag into a cart for a customer at the checkout station of Henry's Marketplace in Poway Friday. A California assemblyman is pushing a bill to require stores to cut their use of plastic bags or to begin charging for them. (Photo by Bill Wechter - Staff Photographer) 
Checkout person Karen Anderson fills uses cloth bags brought in by customer Alice Dulgeroff, left, to bag groceries Friday at Henry's Markerplace in Poway. A California assemblyman is pushing a bill to require stores to cut their use of disposable plastic bags or to begin charging for them. (Photo by Bill Wechter - Staff Photographer) In a little more than two years, shoppers could find themselves paying a quarter for every plastic or paper bag they use to bag groceries.
Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Los Angeles, wrote a law earlier that required stores to set up containers for shoppers to drop off old plastic bags last summer. In a telephone interview Friday, he said most of the 7,000 stores statewide covered by the legislation have complied, and the recycling rate has doubled from 2 percent to 4 percent.
But Levine said California can and must do much better and it is time to pass a law "with some teeth in it."
So, this year, Levine is sponsoring legislation to require stores to slash their use of plastic bags 70 percent, as measured by weight, by 2010 ---- or begin charging 25 cents for each bag they issue starting Jan. 1, 2011. That's the basic thrust of his Assembly Bill 2058, which passed the Assembly last Wednesday on a 42-31 party-line vote, with majority Democrats pushing it through.
Beth Willon, a spokeswoman for the lawmaker, said the bill now goes to the Senate where it will be heard by the Environmental Quality Committee.
Levine said he expects strong opposition from Republicans there, too, though he believes the legislation has a good chance of passing.
The bill is another major California environmental initiative.
Area residents long have been accustomed to recycling their aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers, as well as their newspapers and cardboard products. And they are warming to the idea of returning their outdated computers and cell phones.
Now, Levine wants them to focus attention on the need to recycle those plastic grocery bags.
However, conservative lawmakers say the legislation is the wrong approach to another aspect of California's litter problem.
Assembly Republicans voted against it because, they said, the bill would add hundreds of dollars to the family budgets of Californians at a time when the economy is teetering on, if not already in, recession.
"Hard-working Californians are struggling to pay record-high prices for food and gas," said Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines of Fresno. "The last thing they need is higher taxes. This bill will hurt families by forcing shoppers to pay a new tax on every paper and plastic bag they use at grocery stores."
But Levine countered that families can choose not to pay the fees.
"Call my office," he said. "I will give you a reusable bag. You will not have to pay the fee. It's as simple as that."
And Levine discounted the notion that toting a reusable bag to the store would be a burden.
"It's not like you're going to have to drag an elephant into the store," he said. "I know it sounds revolutionary. But give it a try."
Some stores are already gearing up for what would amount to a wholesale shopping cultural shift.
At Henry's Marketplace in Poway, for example, reusable canvas bags that retail for $4.99 already are being sold and less expensive models are on the way, said Aimee Della Bitta, a spokeswoman for the store.
And she said Henry's Marketplace pays customers a nickel when they return with old plastic bags to reload with groceries.
"We are definitely in line with trying to get our customers to reuse their bags," Della Bitta said.
Tiffany Moffatt, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart in Sacramento, said the big retail chain's California stores have plastic-bag recycling receptacles and sell cloth reusable bags for $1 apiece. But she said the company has no position on the bill.
The bill covers stores that sell grocery and pharmaceutical products, and consequently would apply to Wal-Mart and Rite Aid stores as well as grocers, Levine said. It would not, however, apply to home improvement stores such as Home Depot.
Mo Hamida, a worker at the San Marcos Market, said the 25-cent-per-bag proposal sounded extreme.
"It's just one more thing that we have to brush off as the cost of living in California, I guess," Hamida said. "It's just another hoop for us to go through. But I think it's pretty ridiculous. We do have to save the earth. But come on, a quarter per bag if it (the 70 percent target) doesn't happen?"
GOP members in the Assembly suggested the quarter-per-bag charge is out of line considering that it only costs a few cents to make one.
Levine suggested Republicans have missed the point.
"The idea isn't to reflect the cost of the bag," Levine said. "What is a cigarette tax? Does it reflect the cost of cigarettes? No. Does a speeding ticket reflect the cost of speeding? No. What we're trying to do is change behavior."
And Levine said there is plenty of reason for trying to do that.
He cited state statistics that nearly 150,000 tons of plastics bags are thrown into landfills annually. And he said a survey of trash picked up along the Los Angeles River found that 40 percent of it, as measured by volume, amounted to all types of plastic shopping bags.
Levine said Californians use nearly 20 billion bags a year, with each shopper using an average of 555.
"We're talking about a very serious problem and, hopefully, a very significant part of the solution," he said.
And, by the way, he said, he's not attempting to reopen the paper-vs.-plastic debate, noting that a shift to paper bags would mean cutting down many more trees.
"We want to make sure that we don't shove people from one to the other," Levine said. "It's not paper vs. plastic. It's neither. It's 'I brought my own.'"
Contact staff writer Dave Downey at (760) 745-6611, Ext. 2623, or ddowney@nctimes.com.
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Ron wrote on Jun 1, 2008 8:21 PM:A "party-line vote, with majority Democrats pushing it through."
That's all you really need to know.
Karl wrote on Jun 1, 2008 9:32 PM:One more point Ron, "What we're trying to do is change behavior.". That's a really loaded statement. I don't think trying to decrease the number of bags is a bad thing but to have a condescending politician preach to us lowly constituents sucks.
I think if any behavior needs to be changed Levine should be working on his buddies in Sacramento. Now that would be a significant accomplishment.
Floyd wrote on Jun 1, 2008 10:07 PM:While we're changing behavior, let's charge our elected representatives and senators $10,000 for each bill introduced, $1,000 for each vote (in committee and in session), and $50,000 for each bill the passes. We'd see a lot less frivolity from Sacramento if we implemented this change!
Right on Floyd wrote on Jun 1, 2008 10:55 PM:Good idea.......and then charge each of them for every preachy thought.
Time to recycle wrote on Jun 2, 2008 5:42 AM:diapers, no more throw aways. Get rid of old autos on blocks, in front yards, etc. I can see another way to get "revenues" for the state, however fat chance of that ever happening. You want to know why? It would be politically incorrect. Grocery bag fees is an easy answer to the greedy Dems because we all need groceries. Dumb Dem idea. Lets tax the libs out of office.
Yokozuna wrote on Jun 2, 2008 6:02 AM:This is just another tax opportunity for the state. Why only grocers and drug stores?
Ridicurous wrote on Jun 2, 2008 6:27 AM:More insanity from Sacramento. Not every problem needs a law to solve it, but to a politician, every problem is apparently an opportunity to raise taxes.
I am an Optimist wrote on Jun 2, 2008 6:41 AM:and I see a potential business that will sell to the public plastic bags and paper bags that then can give to the bagger to bag their groceries in.
John E wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:03 AM:Why do politicians try to turn so many issues into petty party fights? This should not be a Republican vs. Democrat issue. It should be simply about intelligent, non-wasteful use of valuable resources.
My wife and I have been reusing paper shopping bags or, more recently, canvas bags, for 35 years. Over the years, most major grocery store chains have been rewarding us with a 5-cent per bag rebate. The proposed 25 cent per bag fee is arguably excessive, but why not charge a visible 10 cents per new bag used instead of giving the 5-cent rebate per bag reused? If folks start noticing a 50-cent surcharge per typical grocery store visit, they may start bringing in their own bags. Sometimes a little cash incentive is needed to overcome laziness.
Get With It People wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:09 AM:People in Europe have been grocery shopping with their mesh, canvas or cloth bags for an eternity. Is it just human nature to immediately so "NO" to a good idea because we are so afraid to have something "rammed down our throats"
- get onboard with a good idea to help the environment and stop being so lazy. Just take a canvas bag or two to the store and help out. Really, we can change and who cares about the politicians and their motives - it's not about them even if some of you think so. A lot of angry, self-absorbed people out there, huh?
Paul wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:14 AM:Since Levine said "Call my office," he said. "I will give you a reusable bag. You will not have to pay the fee. It's as simple as that." I suggest everyone call his office to get a reusable bag.
His phone numbers are
Sacramento - (916) 319-2040
Van Nuys - (818) 904-3840
OMG wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:29 AM:The nanny state has gotten out of hand! What about those of us who shop once a month and get 20 bags per visit? That's an extra $5 you just added to my already highly overtaxed California life. To avoid this extra $5 you want me to cart around 20 recycleable bags at all times just in case my schedule changes at last minute and I can fit a grocery trip in? Or better yet, am I supposed to bring the Costco boxes I used last time? This proposal is definitely thought up by a man - only a male would be this near-sighted and self-righteous! Floyd is right, we should charge this knuckle head for submitting the bill in the first place. Geez - get a life Levine!
hurry up and wait wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:32 AM:Well, this is going to to make our waits at the checkout counter even longer. If people keep using plastic bags and get charged per, they'll have to wait until AFTER their purchases have been BAGGED to hear their totals. THEN they can begin the payment process, which for some people can be quite lengthy.
SC wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:45 AM:"Call my office," he said. "I will give you a reusable bag. You will not have to pay the fee. It's as simple as that."
Who's paying for the bag?
Plain and simple, this is an unfair tax. The rank and file (specifically the Dems becuase they control the State government) should communicate with the store chains ask them to find and equitable solution to the problem. This clown is trying to make a name for himself with this trivail dung.
A pathetic state wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:50 AM:Is this the most important issue our legislators have to address? Are there no other problems to spend time working on?
I'm not paying for "bags." Pile the un-bagged groceries in my cart, it may take an extra 5 minutes for everyone waiting but I'm not giving anymore of my money to the legislators.
george wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:51 AM:Wecome to the Peoples Republic of California. The Democratic Socialist Party has found another tax they can levy. But That is fine. The majority of voters are dems and so get the gov. they deserve. When gas hits $6 or $7 gal. There will be no economy to worry about At this rate the U.S. will be just a third rate third world country. I can imagine a deep and protracted 1930's style depression just around the corner. Inflation is already at 12%+. I hope everyones life is Paid for 'cause only cash will talk when no one has a job. The up side is that I will have the freeway pretty much to my self.
Hurry Up is right and More wrote on Jun 2, 2008 7:59 AM:"Hurry up and wait" is right. How can they charge you when they don't know how many bags your going to use? How about arguments as to how much can go into a bag so you don't get "over charged"? My wife does the big shopping trips as well, and I can't see her hauling 15 or 20 bags into a store. It's just not practical. And I'm actually a fan of reusing bags! Of course recycling is a good idea, so why not just allow us to put them in with the rest of our recycling (cans, newspapers, bottles, etc) each week and then the problem would be solved. How much is it going to cost to ADMINISTER this tax? Wonder why the state is broke? Look no further. How regressive could you make this "tax"? Poor families with lots of kids (so lots of groceries) are going to be hurt the most by this. Aren't the democrats supposed to be HELPING poor working families? All in all, this bill just shows what's really wrong with the legislature of California. If it wasn't the democrats doing this, then I'm sure the republicans would be coming up with their own crazy ideas about how to control our lives and charge us for it. Remember the "day without illegals" or whatever it was called? How about a "Year without a Legislature"? Think how much money that would save us. And I bet you wouldn't even miss them.
Jen wrote on Jun 2, 2008 8:18 AM:I do agree that using reusable bags is a great idea. They are only $.99 at Albertsons. They are sturdy washable and work great as beach bags or whatever else you might need. They had a special if you spent $50.00 or more you got five free, then I just bought 5 more. They are roomier than plastic so you don't need nearly as many cloth bags as plastic bags. It won't cost families hundreds of dollars more per year for food. An initial set up of 15.00 for 15.00 bags. You can even spread it out if you start now and buy one bag at a time. Law or not, I feel it's a great way to help my environment where I can. We wouldn't need laws if people always made the best choices, but that's never going to happen.
Force is needed wrote on Jun 2, 2008 8:33 AM:It is human nature for us to want to do as we always have...exploit and waste with no regard for the future.
This is a SMALL INCONVENIENCE for the benefit we will see over time.
Suck it up and do the right thing!
PC wrote on Jun 2, 2008 8:48 AM:What am I going to do with my dog's poop? We take these plastic bags along with us when we walk our dog. However, at 25 cents a bag, that's quite an expensive bag of poop (maybe that's what we should call this law)! Maybe we should just drop the poop in the gutter and let it take its "biodegradable" course???
v wrote on Jun 2, 2008 8:55 AM:Folks, it's not that hard. You get a few reuseable bags, keep them in the trunk, and that's it. What's the problem?
ZekeZ. wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:08 AM:The small minded comments on this article are amazing. I implore you to get educated on what problems these plastic bags are causing in the marine enviroment and the cost that is being passed on to cities and towns who have to clean up all these errant bags.
Ron wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:10 AM:You know "SC" @7:45 AM, it is truly.. Truly sad to see so many gulible people out there...
"Call my office," he said. "I will give you a reusable bag. You will not have to pay the fee. It's as simple as that."
Who's paying for the bag?
And "I" will give you the bag?
Good call!!!
Liberals wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:16 AM:This is what happens when liberal laws take over. The deomocrats will charge us fr everything, even breathing air will require a fee.
To PC wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:18 AM:That's easy. Do what I do. I have a little bag holder that attaches to my dogs leash. Each bag has enough room for even some of the most 'serious' of poops. It's neat and easy and works much better than grocery store bags that almost always have those little holes in the bottom.
Pathetic wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:18 AM:You people crack me up. Complain, complain, complain. It is a great idea. Less oil needed to make these bags. Less clutter in the dumps. C’mon people quit gripping and grab a couple of cloth bags and get a life. You can get more in them, so you need fewer bags. They are washable. So get with it and stop wasting resources. Sheesh!
Sandy wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:21 AM:I have no problem with reusable bags, I currently use the insulated ones each time I shop to keep the refrigerated and frozen items cold. But I use the grocery bags in my kitchen garbage and recycling cans, so now I will have to buy plastic garbage bags to replace them. Seem rather foolish.
Moderate wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:22 AM:The problem with them is that they hate change and they hate change that is pushed on them. But most won't change unless it is pushed on them. So they yell and whine "oh nanny state". I forgot conservative is no change what so ever.
To PC wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:54 AM:You are a prime example of why the human race is heading into the toilet.
Me, mine, mine...
THIS is why we can't regulate ourselves and we need laws to do the right things.
In My Pocketbook AGAIN wrote on Jun 2, 2008 10:10 AM:In order to save gas, we only shop at the discounters and grocery once a month. Generally, we use 2 carts at the grocery which are then contained in 40-50 bags. Then another 20-30 bags at the discounters. We currently recycle those bags, but you can bet your bottom dollar, I'm going to start a bag bank and save them for when the decide to start charging us. I simply cannot afford to pay anything extra to feed my family or buy our laundry, health and beauty and maintenance items with fees to bag them from the discounters. Charging for the bags means families will simply buy less of what they came to shop at the store for. Now I'll need 3 carts and an extra person, 2 for the real groceries and one to haul the reusable bags!
Tell your store manager wrote on Jun 2, 2008 10:12 AM:if you have to pay, you will find another store to shop, see how many calls that will generate to Sacramento.
Wow wrote on Jun 2, 2008 10:17 AM:...and I thought liberals were whiny! You repubs take the cake in this one!! Shopping bags are a partisan issue? The stores are already trying to wean consumers from using bags but there's no outcry there. Choice you say? You still have choice, you now have to pay for it. Isn't that a repub mantra - pay as you go? Jeez - too many John and Ken listeners here...
To OMG from Granny wrote on Jun 2, 2008 10:20 AM:You call this a nanny state while avoiding the larger issue: pollution. We have rules for air and water quality. These are good rules and became necessary because businesses didn't adequately self-police themselves. This is another good attempt to halt the pollution that is choking or rivers, streams and yes, the ocean. Did you see the article about the mile wide plastic 'island' in the ocean? People don't need these bags and it's really quite easy to bring a canvas bag or two to the store. Or bring 10 or 20..whatever your needs are. You probably have an SUV so you'd have no problem storing about 20 bags in one little spot in your gas guzzling monster.
Jim wrote on Jun 2, 2008 10:26 AM:I'm not an economist but it seems to me this fee would be extremely regressive on the very poor who go shopping like once or twice a month, when their food vouchers (or whatever it is) arrives. It might not be that difficult to shop with five or six reusable bags, but having to bring in, say, twenty of them is a different matter.
Also, the first time some chain makes a stink about filling a customer's bags that have some other chain's logo on them, expect a lawsuit.
Disclaimer: We already shop with reusable Trader Joe's bags.
J wrote on Jun 2, 2008 10:35 AM:Take a look in the average dumpster at an apartment complex. Most of the trash in there is enclosed in plastic shopping bags. In other words, we already *do* recycle these bags! The main result of the legislation is that now those people will have to buy new bags to put their garbage in! I'm sure the companies that make garbage bags are in support of this legislation...
Cry Me A River wrote on Jun 2, 2008 11:24 AM:Anyone complaining about how difficult reusable shopping bags are to take with you has clearly never tried it. I have a collection of them that take up a whopping 6 inches of trunk space and I have never had a store display a problem if the bag I brought was from another store. They hold more and are easier to carry from the store and into the house. The environmental benefits are a small bonus on top of the other conveniences they bring.
Give a shot. You may surprise yourself.
WAIT wrote on Jun 2, 2008 11:34 AM:there's more! When they figure out that people use their plastic grocery bags for garbage, dog poop, kitty litter cleanup, packing material and a myriad of other uses how will those issues be addressed? I have no problem with using a canvas bag. Most of the plastic bags are flimsy and tear easily as do the paper. My grandpa used a leather shopping bag that he brought from Italy. I remember that black bag, it lasted for over 50 years. But I digress. Grocery stores and pharmacies are not the only stores who use plastic and or paper bags. This plan does not appear to be that well thought out.
Julie wrote on Jun 2, 2008 11:35 AM:This is why I shop at COSTCO! They don't charge any of this fluff, nor will they. You get a box if you want, or you can use their nice canvas bags. I save a lot of money shopping there already and I get paid to use my Amex there, which I put back into my grocery bill. I hate grocery stores. Shop at Costco, go once or twice a month and save yourself money and gas!
Not Right or Left Just Dumb wrote on Jun 2, 2008 11:48 AM:1st, recycling is a great idea. No one would argue with that. 2nd, recycling grocery bags is a great idea. Few would argue with that. But, the problem is that laws like this have lots of unintended consequences that legislatures don't consider. It's a terribly regressive tax. Who is going to decide how much to put in a bag? How much will it cost to enforce this? Can it be enforced? The fact that the legislator who wrote this is willing to "give" us bags if we call him says a lot. Unless he's funding giveaway himself, he is giving us bags paid for by US. So now the state is going to pay for every person in the state to have a reusable grocery bag? That's not "giving" us anything! This is just as idiotic as Federal "Stimulus Checks". The Federal Government just borrowed a bunch of money (since there is a deficit) to "give" us rebates to stimulate the economy. The right wingers borrowed money (i.e. fiscally irresponsible) and the left wingers agreed that lower taxes (in the form of the rebate) boosts the economy (can you say "supply side"?), Did both sides to forget they disagree on this, that is unless it's an election year. So it's not a right wing versus left wing thing. It's just a case of another legislator doing a DUMB thing.
Think about it wrote on Jun 2, 2008 12:19 PM:I consider myself pretty conservative but let's face it, we are heading toward an energy crisis and it's time to conserve, not because it's what celebreties or politicians say but it's for our own survival.
Concerned One wrote on Jun 2, 2008 12:44 PM:We've been using reusable bags since Christmas and the only hard part was remembering to take them in the store. I think they're great. Carrying four or five of them in a store is really not a problem, just put them in the cart. Bottom line for me is plastic is bad, end of story.
Stockwoodie wrote on Jun 2, 2008 12:53 PM:China just BANNED all plastic bags. Why don't we do that instead...then we can get rid of all these jokers complaining about taxes...
Just BAN them. I was just in Dublin and I have charged about $.70 for a plastic bag. I thought, hmmm, I guess I won't be using too many plastic bags here. But, it made me think...what a great idea.
We have about 5 tote bags in our trunk...and they don't take up too much room. If we happen by the grocery store, we just take them in. Or, if we just purchase a few items, we ask for NO bag and just carry our stuff out. No big deal.
-SW
Ignorance is bliss wrote on Jun 2, 2008 1:13 PM:Easy law to pass for those who don't shop. Make more stuff recyclable but make it more difficult to recycle. How about more places to recycle ewaste. How about batteries. Like everyone is going to save batteries up until they can find a place to take them. Recycle is great word and idea but you have to have places close and easy to get to to drop the stuff. How about we recycle the Dems in the legislature. Gas is out of sight, the state should be in bankruptcy and these clowns are worried about plastic bags. Give me a break!
osider wrote on Jun 2, 2008 1:18 PM:And the companies that make/sell the canvas bags too, are looking to make some money off of this!
Encinitas wrote on Jun 2, 2008 2:00 PM:These darned bags are everywhere, out blowing in the breeze. I've seen them in the ocean, and in the middle of nowhere in the Sierra mountains. I also re-use ours, but we always seem to have an excess that we return to the store for recycling. My resolution for the new year was to use cloth bags; I have to admit that I forget them 60% of the time. I've worked in Sweden, and you have to buy the plastic bag (and bag your own groceries) at the store. It doesn't slow things down; they have a setup at the checkout counter where one customer bags, while another is going through the line.
Maybe a biodegradable bag would be a better solution than a bag tax. At least then if the bag blew away, it would eventually break down. I believe that these are mandated in San Francisco.
Thats right wrote on Jun 2, 2008 2:52 PM:discriminate against the poor, those were my childrens lunch bags. What are they going to outlaw plastic sandwich bags next?
Paul wrote on Jun 2, 2008 2:57 PM:I reuse mine and recycle them and I am a conservative. I guess the conserve name fits me. I do object to the nanny state programs that come about without full thought. For example, every buy a container for gasoline lately. Whoever in government came up with this design (in their minds to prevent spillage) ought to come over here and show me how to fill up my weed whacker or chain saw without spilling gasoline. Oh, and before someone says use electric (I live on 3+ acres). Energy saving bulbs, there's another one, ever read the label on the back? This will be another debacle when the politicos find out, oh my God, toxic waste being dumped.
I would imagine wrote on Jun 2, 2008 3:41 PM:next month the Senate will propose a tax on condom purchuses, heck probably tons of those going into mother earths land fills.
confused wrote on Jun 2, 2008 3:57 PM:What about all the other plastic bags and containers? Just about everything comes in a plastic container of some type. Who is going to police this? Are they going to have a state commission that will ensure that each bundle of plastic bags is accouted for? is there going to be a state official at the door to ensure the grocery store doesn't over bag? What a waste of taxpayer time and money. I need a job in Sacremento. I wonder how many of them use reusable bags.
To I would imagine wrote on Jun 2, 2008 4:04 PM:With that BRILLIANT comment of yours, I think you just might be able to beat the "New reality game show.."
Bagging anything wrote on Jun 2, 2008 4:45 PM:at Costco (unless the bag is a clear, see-through type) is a mistake. Don't do it. The door guard will have to dig through your stuff when you try to exit --comparing items to your receipt. It's a pita and it slows everyone down. Just let them load the stuff into your cart, THEN transfer to the cloth/canvas bags once you get out to the car.
gimmeabreak wrote on Jun 2, 2008 4:55 PM:Yeah, doggone it, we got a fundamental right to continue to fill the landfills with plastic bags that don't biodegrade for centuries, I want future generations to have to thumb through a buncha little time capsules of filth from our glorious present. Did I mention that the plastic is made from petroleum products, too? So OPEC wins, too! WOO HOO! Good lordy, the shortsightedness of some of y'all is simply amazing.
ObsERVER wrote on Jun 2, 2008 5:03 PM:Gas is $4.25 a gallon and the state electeds are worried about plastic bags. Cut all the environmental taxes out of everything and give us a break!
To Encinitas wrote on Jun 2, 2008 5:44 PM:We had biodegradable bags, the liberals demanded that we stop using them. In much the same tone as some of their posts here, they announced that anyone who was using biodegradable bags was ignorant, since all the truly informed and intelligent liberals knew that plastic was better. In the course of that, they apparently forgot that trees grow back, but plastic never deteriorates.
Now that we've all gone to plastic, and the problems that were obvious from the beginning have manifested themselves, they're demanding that WE pay to fix the problem that THEY created. And when Levine's proposal has its own unintended consequences, they'll want more money from us to fix that, too.
Ah liberals... every problem they create is always someone else's fault.
Sickening wrote on Jun 2, 2008 6:28 PM:Do you naysayers really think that plastic bags are not a problem?
Everything from dog poop to lunch bags? You honestly can't figure things out if someone takes away a bag from you? Cry me a fricken river.
Stop looking at your own pathetic problems and look around. Other countries have banned or are put a heavy price on plastic bags. This is for a reason. A reason people! We don't need them. They are causing environmental problems.
If this forum is a measurement of intelligence in the U.S.A., more than half of this country is full of idiots.
Floyd wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:15 PM:It's not a pathetic problem, really. It's about the state government doing something that has nothing to do with governing the state. The abuse of power is worth a major reaction!
Birth control wrote on Jun 2, 2008 9:57 PM:Reusable bags could be used for advertisments . If you need poop bags for your hounds Target has some cheap blue bags in the baby department which are actually better than the supposed doggie bags. Increasing population #s have forced us to conserve. I for one think there should be a limit of 3 babies each woman is allowed to bring into this world.
Hey PM wrote on Jun 2, 2008 10:33 PM:if you have the paper delivered try using the bag from that for dog poo. Of course it probably won't be long before those are outlawed too, but in the meantime...
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT wrote on Jun 3, 2008 12:52 AM:I'm an Escondidan, about to move back after 5 years living in Europe with a similar bag system. We pay about 30 cents per bag at grocery stores. So for you Republicans who can't figure out how to cope:
1. Stick some bags--canvas, plastic, whatever you like--in your trunk so they will always be there when you go shopping.
2. Pick up poop or whatever else you need to do with plastic bags using the plastic bags you will still get from other places not affected by this charge(you will begin saving these rather than tossing them. It will be enough).
3. Whenever you find that you've forgotten to bring a bag, buy some, and then re-use them. (Hopefully the stores will start using sturdier bags that can be re-used many times.)
Or you could do what I currently do: Wear a backpack. It's handier when I take my two children on my bike to go get our groceries.
Will the stores charge wrote on Jun 3, 2008 8:19 AM:you for the fruit and vegetable bags inside the store that everyone uses to bring their purchases to the counter? Or do we have to bring our own?
Concerned One wrote on Jun 3, 2008 8:25 AM:Was it the liberals who pushed for plastic instead of paper? Frankly, I don't care. Plastic bags are bad, and they are ending up in the middle of our oceans. I found a whole new use for all the cloth bags I get at trade shows. I use them all the time and it's not a big deal. This is one liberal law that I can support.
Kitty wrote on Jun 3, 2008 8:34 AM:Seems like the ones commenting on this page most likely voted for George Bush twice, so it shows what kind of intelligence these people have when it comes to making political decisions. Plastic bags are detrimental to the environment, eat up resources, and kill and maim thousands of sea animals a year. Canvas bags last years, can handle 3x the weight of plastic bags if not more, and are reusable. They pay for themselves both directly and indirectly with improved quality of life and the health of our oceans. Sad that people in North San Diego County aren't intelligent enough to see that...
EncinitasSara wrote on Jun 3, 2008 8:40 AM:We've become so dependant on such a simple, destructive product.
You don’t NEED the bags. They’re convenient in the short-term for you, but just you, each time you go to the store.
I commend those who use bags more than once (for doggie doo, diapers, or as trash linings) – you’re thinking along some of the right lines.
However, in the time you’ve spent reading this article and comments, you could glean a lot of scientifically-backed knowledge from a brief perusal of: www.algalita.org
Personal responsibility: Who is responsible for the proper disposal of an improper product? Will your measly 25 cents cover the destruction involved in the production and waste of that single bag?
to obSERVER wrote on Jun 3, 2008 9:28 AM:What does the price of a gallon of gas have to do with plastic bags? Gas prices aren't up because of environmentalists...
Just Dont Get It wrote on Jun 3, 2008 9:34 AM:It's not the grocery bags we are so attached too. It's every hard earned dollar that some legislator thinks could be better spent by government. There is no end to these little taxes, and folks are just plain tired of it. Everyone has a hand in their pocket and the pocket is quickly become empty. China is a communist state and can order whatever it wants from it's citizens. Be more like China? I don't think so. Europe suffers from high unemployment and super high taxes. Do we honestly want to copy them? I don't. And I don't think the majority of us do either. Come up with a recyling law that makes sense, and I'm sure folks would support it. If more bags are not being recycled at the stores, then my guess is they are being recycled by getting used for other things. And if we stop using them for other things, then we will use OTHER plastic bags for those other things. This will result in no net gain whatsoever. What about all the other plastic bags that go into the landfill? Are the taxes on them just around the corner?
Ron wrote on Jun 3, 2008 10:01 AM:You know, logically... we are already paying for these bags. Do you actually think stores "give you" these bags? So, what is the point of adding a tax to a bag? Well, it's to reduce the behavior.
Take smoking for example. Clearly, legislators do not want to kill smoking, they want to tax smoking. they need the revenue too much to kill it, by banning it. Someone said it eariler, the Europeans have banned some plastics outright. Seems to me, that if your concerned about the enviroment, that's what needs to happen. But, since this really isn't about saving the environment, it is about taxes. Just as taxing smokers isn't the same as banning smoking.
I will say this though...
all you gulible types, eventually they will get to something you covet, and when they do... it will be non-stop crying.
Jim wrote on Jun 3, 2008 10:39 AM:Ron is right. I do want to see fewer plastic bags in use (the section about plastic in "The World Without Us" is just horrifying) but I would be much more likely to support banning them than sticking a fee on them. If we really want to achieve the (admirable) goal of keeping plastic bags out of landfills and out of the ocean, they need to be banned. Otherwise here's what's likely to happen:
1) The people who already shop with reusable bags will continue to do so.
2) The people for whom $0.XX for a plastic bag is a tolerable (if annoying) fee will continue to use just as many plastic bags as ever.
3) The people for whom $0.XX per bag cuts unacceptably into their cigarette/rent/clothing/cable/whatever bill will do something to handle the extra fee. It may be cutting back on cigarettes/rent/clothing/cable/whatever; it may be buying fewer groceries; it may be stuffing more groceries into a bag. I suspect it will NOT be buying and using reusable bags, but I could be wrong.
While we're at it, maybe we should be thinking about banning plastic blister packs (I hate those things) and the excessive use of shrink-wrap on products that don't really need it. And does each Asian pear really need its own little Styrofoam hair net?
right on wrote on Jun 3, 2008 11:14 AM:no more " double bagging" either! I wondered why it took so long for this to happen! (The store passes the price of their bags onto YOU now) Keep it simple,people! REDUCING waste is what this is all about!! Are we really that reluctant to CHANGE? Our kids are going to curse this generation of adults!
One thing that was wrote on Jun 3, 2008 11:39 AM:suppose to disappear because birds and seagulls were getting trapped in them, is the plastic that holds your soft / beer drinks 6 packs. I guess the beer and soda industry ran a big stink.
Alan wrote on Jun 3, 2008 11:52 AM:Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute.
According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion.)
Californians throw away 294,000,000 pounds of plastic bags every year, or 147,000 tons - enough waste to circle the planet over 250 times.
In the State of California, 600 plastic bags are thrown away every second.
If Californians cut their plastic bag waste in half, it would save over two thousand barrels of oil a day( over 800,000 barrels a year) and keep 73,000 tons of rubbish out of our landfills.
Reduce - Reuse - Recycle
Source: http://www.cawrecycles.org/living_green/shopping_list/bags/bag_facts
ugh here we go again wrote on Jun 3, 2008 1:44 PM:i use reusable bags, and i buy little dog poop bags for my dog... that being said i still dont like the 25cent charge per bag! this is insane! i choose to take reusable bags to the store with me, because its easier for me to do that, but there are lots of people i know that this would not be the case. i grow up in a large family, my mother could never carry 30 plus bags she would need with her to shop and the extra cost on her bill is unfair!
Steve wrote on Jun 3, 2008 1:50 PM:Great Info Alan. Shows why any human should support this law. Folks, it's not that hard. You get a few reuseable bags, keep them in the trunk, and that's it. What's the problem? It took me awhile to get in the habit, but it feels great to walk out the store without contributing to the plastic problem. This new law won't cost me a penny. most of my bags I've collect over time. Costco has some huge ones that hold 70lbs and only cost 1.50.
Frances wrote on Jun 3, 2008 4:21 PM:I wonder if Levine purchases plastic bags for his trash. No, I don't recycle my bags at the store HOWEVER I do use them as trash bags...thus limiting the number of PURCHASED trash bags. Those crafty Ds.............
HEY PC..... wrote on Jun 3, 2008 4:29 PM:You are SO right! We take a completely biodegradeable item place it into a plastic trash bag, thus helping it to last for all eternity,,,,,,how smart is that. Triple bag has a great idea....lets all ask for triple bags now.....you think Levine thought this one up cause he couldn't sleep?
HEY GRANNY wrote on Jun 3, 2008 4:34 PM:I own, and drive, an SUV.....it is a 9 seater. I pay for gas, and yeah, I sure DO pay for it. AND I get 2 families in it, so that makes ONE car on the road for them both. People who gripe about SUVs crack me up....just because they drive a smaller vehicle they think they can gripe about the SUV owners, I am thinking.....do you drive a car? If you drive a car AT ALL which uses ANY gas, you should have no complaints..when you start riding your bicycle you can then grip.......
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