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.

Learn More about Plastic Bag Waste:

• The Problem of Plastic Bags
• Local Ordinances

Additional Resources:

• Latest Plastic Bag News
• Model Ordinance Language
• Marine Debris
• Ocean Protection Council on Marine Debris
• Plastic Litter and Waste Reduction Campaign