California plastic bag ban heads to Jerry Brown

[petronius]

California lawmakers narrowly approved a sweeping plastic bag ban Friday, leaving Gov. Jerry Brown to decide the fate of the controversial bill in an election year.

The ban, the subject of years of debate, was one of the most heavily lobbied issues in the final days of the legislative session, with back-and-forth votes this week. The Senate approved the measure 22-15 on Friday.

The measure could be politically difficult for Brown, a longtime champion of environmental causes but a relatively moderate Democrat, especially on issues of concern to business.

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http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/29/6665958/california-plastic-bag-ban-heads.html

Hope he signs it; our governor has a lot of thinking to do in the next few weeks...

[tularetom]

1. That sucks

How am I going to clean out the cat box without a plastic grocery bag?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. How did you do it before there were plastic bags?

You might be able to buy them from Amazon, for instance.

[tularetom]

8. I never had 3 indoor cats before there were plastic bags

In the old days we never had a litter box because any cats we had were outside most of the time.

But two of these guys were babies that we found wandering around in the road after their mama got smooshed by a car so we didn't have the heart to let them out. They're now 15 years old and have spent their entire lives inside. Maybe I can hoard enough plastic bags to last the rest of their lives.

Or we might be able to find some at the dollar store.

[enlightenment]

9. Stores like Smart and Final

sell boxes of plastic bags.

Or use paper lunch bags - they usually hold a scoop patrol load.

[Cleita]

6. I scoop it out and flush it down the toilet. What's the difference

between our poo and their poop? I don't use the clumping litter, just the ordinary stuff.

[tularetom]

11. That's what I do too

with the poo.

But with 3 cats they pee so much I have to use the clumping litter and I'd be afraid to dump that stuff in my toilet because it sets up pretty solid.

Besides, we're on a septic tank and I don't want to plug up my leach field.

[Cleita]

12. Oh no I wouldn't put the clumping stuff in the loo either.

I also have a septic tank. If you get a throw away paper, you could just wrap the clumps in the newspaper and throw in the trash. that what I did when I had three cats in a travel trailer.

[roody]

17. I compost my dog's poo in a deep pit in the yard.

[meti57b]

20. Supposedly, it is against fish and game laws in California, to flush cat poop....

Some cats have something called toxoplasmosis. Sewage from toilets is disposed of through sewers that dump it in the ocean. Some ocean wildlife, like baby walruses, are sensitive to toxoplasmosis, and can die from it.

New laws were considered in California to control this. However, Some state officials figured out they can claim it is against the California State Fish & Game law which can levy 5-figure fines for it.

If you check your bag of cat litter, you will find a warning, not to dump it in the toilet. It ususally does not put it so plainly. It usually gives the name and number of the legislation.

[Cleita]

21. Mine goes into a septic tank so the sewers are quite safe. n/t

[petronius]

7. We worried a bit about that when our county went bag-free, but it turned out

that we still get a lot of bags - bread, newspaper, fruit/veggies, magazine mailers, etc ... plenty to match the output of our little kitty, at least...

[Merlot]

18. They still sell small bags for poop-scooping, etc

Or you can use small trash bags (I get them by the box of 20 at 99 store). Sandwich baggies would also work.

I stopped using them years ago. Really, it's a small adjustment when you consider how many animals won't be killed by them in the ocean.

[procon]

2. Some stores seem almost hostile at the possibilty

Its taking me awhile to get in the habit of bringing my own bags, and I sometimes I still forget them. Worse, I've run into problems at several stores. Everything from being stopped by store security, to disgruntled checkout clerks who make sure I knew how annoyed they were with my motley assortment of shopping bags.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My store reimburses us when we bring our own bags. n/t

[SunSeeker]

10. Yup. Sprouts Market gives you a 5 cent credit per bag you bring. nt

[BlueCaliDem]

5. It won't bother me. I already use reusable bags, and have been for years.

I hope he signs it. We have just too many plastic bags littering our neighborhoods. On the other hand, stores should offer less expensive alternative reusable bags because some of them are charging $4.99 for a single bag! At least State Bros' reusable bags are pretty, sturdy, and only $0.99.

[Jamaal510]

13. If they're going

to do the bag ban, I think the state's lawmakers should at least arrange it to where customers are given free reusable bags. Right now, people basically have to pay for something that used to be free (either by having to buy reusable bags somewhere or being charged 10-20 cents extra per bag at checkout). That may not seem like much money to pay, but to some people it means a lot, especially those of us who don't have a job and are on a fixed income.
Another problem I see is that reusable bags can gather bacteria (especially when carrying something like meat around), so they need to be washed (unlike plastic and paper bags), and that also costs money. One more thing I want to add here is that some people actually save their plastic bags for use around their homes. For example, I used to use plastic bags for my trash can in my bathroom because regular garbage bags were too large for it. Now I can't even do that anymore because of the local plastic bag ordinance that took effect earlier this year.
I don't like the bag ban and believe there are less inconvenient ways to solve our environmental concerns, but we'll see how this plays out.

[daredtowork]

14. I hate to be taking this position

But people on welfare depend a lot on "freebies" they get in passing and multi-use items. As it turns out, plastic bags have a LOT of uses!

I really missed plastic bags from the grocery store over the last couple of years because I did not have a direct cash income for larger garbage bags.

I do try to separate my garbage and compost, and I'm conscious of the coming global warming apocalypse. I just wish someone realized that people without a direct cash income still need plastic bags for stuff, lol.

[pinto]

15. Good, common sense call.

[roody]

16. We already have it in Mendocino County,

and it is great.

[antiquie]

22. Jerry Brown signs phase-out of single-use plastic bags

Single-use plastic bags will be banned starting July 1, 2015 from California supermarkets
On July 1, 2016, the ban will extend to convenience and liquor stores

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday fulfilled a promise by signing a measure that will phase out single-use plastic bags from checkout stands at California supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor stores and pharmacies.

“This bill is a step in the right direction – it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean itself,” Brown said in a statement. “We’re the first to ban these bags, and we won’t be the last.”

“This is a compromise,” Brown said during the debate. “It’s taking into account the needs of the environment, and the needs of the economy and the needs of the grocers.”

LAT