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California lawmakers approve ban on plastic bags
Jun 3, 2010, 16:27 GMT
Sacramento - The California state Assembly has narrowly approved a measure that would make California the first state in the US to ban the distribution of free single-use plastic and paper bags at supermarkets and other stores.
The measure passed late Wednesday and is set to take effect in 2012 if signed into law. It would require shoppers who don't bring their own bags to the store to purchase paper bags made of at least 40 per cent recycled material for a minimum of 5 cents or buy reusable bags.
The measure must still pass the state Senate and get the signature of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has said he supports the bill.
The law has been heavily supported by environmentalists, but also got the backing of the California Grocers Association who said the measure made environmental and economic sense.
According to the law's backers, Californians use 19 billion plastic bags each year, creating 147,000 tons of waste that takes between 500 to 1,000 years to degrade.
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