Nov 18 - California Assembly Hears About Growing Problem of Plastic Litter

The Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials Committee and the Natural Resources Committee held a joint committee hearing yesterday in Santa Monica and heard testimony regarding the growing problem of plastic litter pollution.

Members of the committee were urged by environmentalists present, including CAW, that action must be taken to address this plastic pollution--80% of which comes from urban litter. Few legislative solutions exist to combat the problem.

The most effective current litter reduction law, the California Bottle Bill, recycled 6 billion plastic containers last year, but efforts to expand the program to cover more plastic containers have failed to pass the legislature. Similar efforts, including legislation that would put a fee on plastic bags, have also stalled.