A bill that would ban single-use plastic bags and place a 10-cent charge on recyclable paper bags passed the California Assembly Appropriations Committee with resounding support last week and now heads to the Assembly floor for consideration.
Senate Bill 270, authored by Sen. Alex Padilla, Sen. Kevin de Leon and Sen. Ricardo Lara, is supported by a broad coalition—including the California Grocers Association, business, local municipalities, environmental groups, poverty rights activists and organized labor.
“The purpose of this bill always has been statewide consistency, something businesses want and consumers need—all the while cutting pollution and litter while supporting innovative, green jobs,” said CGA President and CEO Ron Fong.
More than 100 California jurisdictions already have adopted single-use bag bans. Senate Bill 270’s format mirrors nearly all of these successful ordinances.
The city of San Jose’s bag ban has reduced single-use bag usage by 90 percent. In Los Angeles County, the ordinance has resulted in stores continuing to maintain a more than 90 percent reduction in single-use bag usage compared to before the ordinance was adopted.
The vote followed a fresh wave of support for the bill by major newspapers across the state last week, including the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee and Fresno Bee.
