Law Requires Plastic Bags Be Recycled
Law AB 2449 went on the books on Sunday. The law requires stores that are over 10,000 sqaure feet to offer customers a plastic bag recycling program.
“The bag-manufacturing industry is partnering with the retail community to develop practical solutions for recycling in California communities and around the nation,” Isaac Bazbaz, chairman of the Progressive Bag Alliance, said in a news release.
Less than 5 percent of the 19 billion plastic bags used every year are recycled, while consumers toss 294 million pounds of bags. By cutting down the bags sent to landfills in half would reduce oil consumption by 2,000 barrels and eliminate 73,000 tons from landfills every year, according to the alliance.