Hawaii County is considering banning plastic bags, following Maui's passage of a plastic bag ban earlier this week, reports Nina Wu of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

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Plastic litter is a serious problem in Hawaii because the island chain sits on the edge of the North Pacific Gyre. Plastic flows routinely wash up on Hawaiian beaches, threatening wildlife.

CAW and Plastic Bags

• Learn about AB 2769 (Levine-Brownley-Davis), which could reduce plastic bag use by up to 90%.

The Maui County Board of Supervisors will vote this Friday on whether to ban plastic bags. Maui, the second most populous county of Hawaii, would become the first non-Californian municipality in the country to ban plastic bags if they succeed. Hawaii is particularly affected by plastic marine debris pollution as it lies in the North Pacific garbage patch. Beaches there are routinely affected by huge deposits of "drift plastic".

CAW and Plastic Bags:

• AB 2058 would reduce plastic bag usage and encourage the use of reusable bags by putting a fee on single-use carryout bags.

The Seattle City Council has approved a 20 cent fee on all carryout bags in a 6-1 vote. The ordinance will take effect in January of next year, and will ban expanded polystyrene the following year.

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CAW and Carryout Bags:

• Learn about AB 2058, which will put a 25 cent environmental fee on carryout bags.

Jul 17 - Baltimore Weighs Bag Ban (Baltimore Sun)