Aug 25 - Lawmaker Blasts Plastics Trade Association for Falsities
Huffington Post highlights the misleading statements in the American Chemistry Council's recent media campaign to kill AB 1998, the plastic bag ban bill by Assembly Member Brownley.
The ads predict a loss of jobs even though there are relatively few single-use plastic bags made in California and many more green job opportunities from producing reusable bags.
In addition, the ads talk about a new bureaucracy when none is called for in this legislation. The ads suggest people will switch to paper bags when the impact of similar legislation in other jurisdictions has been a very successful switch to reusable bags, not paper bags. AB 1998 also has post-consumer recycled content requirements for paper bags to save trees.
AB 1998 will in fact help California save money as millions of dollars of our state and local budgets are currently spent on park and beach clean-ups, to clean storm drains and roadways from clogs created from plastic debris.