California's capital city of SACRAMENTO Since California became the first state to ban single-use plastic shopping bags, most grocery stores have switched to thicker plastic bags that can be recycled.
Attorney General Rob Bonta is looking into the legality of the bags.
Bonta said that they have all been to the store and forgot to bring their bags. The plastic bags we buy at the register for 10 cents have those "chasing arrows" that say they are 100% recycled. Maybe not right.
He asked six bag manufacturers to back up their claims that the bags can be recycled and threatened legal action that could include banning the bags temporarily.
His office wouldn't say how many of the companies responded. The American chemistry council disagrees with Bonta's characterization.
California became the first state to ban single-use plastic bags. In 1991, Maine became the first state to require stores to take back plastic bags for recycling.
According to policy experts and advocates, only a small amount of plastic is recycled in the US. Data from the state's recycling department shows that more plastic bags ended up in California's landfills in the year 2020.
The executive director of Californians Against Waste blames the policies of the swine flu.
People are supposed to be able to return their plastic bags. Many people took their bag recycling bins out during the early days of the Pandemic.
Retailers must collect the bags and sell them to manufacturers for use in new bags that must include 40% recycled content and be reuse at least 125 times. Murray thinks that most of the time, they are used to hold other trash.
He said that it might be time to phase out the bags.
The California Grocers Association did not respond to a request for comment because it said each retailer has its own policy.
The makers of the bags have to certify that their bags can be recycled. Bonta said that a system to collect, process and sell used bags is needed. He said putting the bags in the recycling bins interfered with recycling other products and increased the risk of injury to workers.
The Statewide Commission on Recycling Markets and Curbside Recycling stated in a report that plastic bags and similar products are a top form of contamination.
Six manufacturers were asked if their bags could be recycled in California. His office didn't say if they all responded.
Sean Whiteley said the company has been recycling more than 300 million pounds of plastic every year for decades and is confident in its own compliance record.
The legislation to ban single-use bags was introduced in the company's Southern California subsidiary.
He said that the company was an environmental recycling company that made sustainable plastic solutions.
The company is committed to complying with all state laws. The company responded to Bonta's request but didn't give its full response to The AP.
The company said that it must be marked that way because the bags have been certified as eligible for recycling.
The other companies didn't reply to many emails.
The vice president of plastics at the American Chemistry Council said that manufacturers are working to remake all plastic packaging into new plastic.
Bonta has clashed with industry in the past. He subpoenaed ExxonMobil in order to investigate the proliferation of plastic waste.
That's right.
Thompson retired from the AP.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
