Hot Issues We're Working On

Plastic Bag Litter Pollution

Press Release: Plastic Bag Ban AB 1998 Fails Passage

Californians use 19 billion plastic bags every year. That's 600 bags per second! Far too many of these bags are littered and enter the ocean. Plastic bags are a primary source of litter because they are light and aerodynamic and are easily transported by wind into the watershed. Once littered, plastic bags essentially never biodegrade. Instead the sun breaks them into small pieces that choke and kill sensitive marine species such as turtles and birds. There is already up to 46 times more plastic than plankton in the North Pacific Gyre! AB 1998 (Brownley) would ban plastic bags at grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores.

California's E-Waste Disposal Crisis

California continues to lead the nation in electronic waste policy as the only state that has successfully curbed both the illegal disposal and export of the largest category toxic electronics, which includes TVs, computer monitors, and laptops through CA's SB 20. It's estimated that half will either be reused or recycled in California today. In addition, the California Department of Toxics Substances Control (DTSC) has recognized a wide array of consumer electronic products as hazardous, and, effective February 2006, they are prohibited from disposal in household trash, affecting thousands of consumer electronic devices.

Climate Change and Recycling

Greenhouse Gas: Meaningful Emission Reduction through Waste Prevention and Recycling

To help prevent the public health and environmental threats posed by Global Warming, California has committed to an aggressive series of green house gas (GHG) emission reduction goals. Every sector of the state will be called upon to reduce their GHG emissions, including the waste management sector.

Track what the waste sector is working on to reduce GHG emissions in our Climate Change Blog.

Plastic Litter and Waste Reduction Campaign

New policies are needed to deal with the increasing amount of plastics litter polluting our ocean. Studies show that in the some areas of the Pacific there is 46 times more plastic than plankton by weight.

The problem of plastic litter is only growing. Plastic is the fastest-growing component of the waste stream.  And beacuse plastic essentially never biodegrades, once littered  plastic becomes a permanent environmental problem.

Other Issues We're Working On

	Alternative Daily Cover
	Apartment Recycling
	The California Bottle Bill
	Cell Phone and Battery Recycling
	Cigarette Litter
	Conversion Technologies
	Dairy Waste
	Extended Producer Responsibility
	Fast Food and Waste
	Food Waste Composting
	Lighting Source Pollution Reduction
	Medical Sharps
	Mercury Contamination
	Pharmaceutical Pollution
	Phone Books
	Plastic Bottles and California's Bottle and Can Law
	Used Motor Oil Recycling
	Used Paint Recycling
	Zeroing in on Zero Waste