To strengthen California's battle against plastic pollution, Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, has successfully pushed a bill through the Senate Environmental Quality Committee to further reduce the abundance of plastic bags in the state. According to details released on her Senate website, Blakespear's bill, SB 1053, targets a loophole in the decade-old plastic bag ban, allowing stores to offer customers thicker, supposedly recyclable plastic bags.
These heavier plastic bags were deemed an environmentally friendly alternative due to their potential for recycling and reusability. Contrary to their original designation, it turns out that few of these bags ever make it to the recycling bin. In a statement on the senator's Senate website, Blakespear remarked, "A plastic bag has an average lifespan of 12 minutes and then it is discarded, afflicting our environment with toxic microplastics that impact our oceans and landfills for up to 1,000 years.” SB 1053 proposes to eliminate the sale of these plastic film bags at store checkouts, encouraging the shift towards sustainable options.
The bill highlights the troubling increase in plastic bag waste, noting that the state has seen a 47% uptick in the disposal of grocery and merchandise bags—from 157,385 tons the year the bag ban was passed to 231,072 tons by 2022. The legislation seeks to rectify this by implementing stricter standards for reusable bags and mandating that stores distribute only 100 percent recycled paper bags or allow shoppers to bring their reusable alternatives.
Receiving backing from a coalition of 86 organizations, including Californians Against Waste and Heal the Bay, SB 1053 is garnering widespread support. According to a release from Blakespear's office, support for this legislation extends beyond environmental groups, including the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG) Students. With the next hurdle being the Senate Appropriations Committee, the bill's proponents are optimistic about its potential to significantly dent the state's plastic waste issue.
Sen. Blakespear, representing the 38th district covering parts of San Diego and Orange County, was elected in 2022. More information about Blakespear's legislative efforts and district can be found by visiting her Senate website.
