CRRA to initiate statewide campaign to regulate single-use carryout bags

The California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) has announced (August, 2010) that it will initiate a statewide campaign to enact local ordinances to regulate single-use carryout bags at convenience stores, if convenience stores are excluded from Assembly Bill 1998 by Julia Brownley. 
 
The CRRA is the oldest and one of the largest non-profit state recycling organizations in the United States, dedicated to reducing waste, pollution, and green house gasses through reuse, recycling, composting, and product stewardship.
 
AB 1998, as currently written, would ban grocery and convenience stores from providing customers with plastic single-use carryout bags, and shift Californians to using more sustainable reusable bags. 
 
“As the California Grocers Association has learned, California cities, particularly coastal cities, are no longer willing to tolerate the costs and environmental burdens these poorly designed products, most of which are manufactured overseas, place on local communities”, said Julie Muir, CRRA President.
 
“CRRA commends the California Grocers Association for its thoughtful participation in the development of AB 1998, and their support of this bill.  It would be unfortunate if the convenience store industry failed to understand the value of having a single, state wide standard for carryout bags used at convenience stores, as AB 1998 as currently written would achieve, instead of the patchwork of local ordinances that would result if convenience stores are excluded from the provisions of AB 1998”, Muir said.
 
A broad coalition of environmental groups, including leading marine environment protection groups, support AB 1998 because of the detrimental effects of single-use plastic bags when they become litter.

California Resource Recovery Association

www.crra.com