NEW REPORT PROVES NEED FOR STATEWIDE BAN ON SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAG

Media Contacts

Environment California

“This new report shows the need to ban the worst kinds of plastic,” said Dan Jacobson, Legislative Director for Environment California. “With 23 ordinances covering 47 cities and counties banning plastic bags the time for action at the state level is now. California needs to ban plastic bags”

The new report estimates that particles of “microplastic”—pieces of plastic smaller than 5 mm in diameter—have increased by more than 100 times since the early 1970s in the North Pacific Gyre. In addition, the report shows that last year, the research team found that nearly 10 percent of fish in the area had eaten plastic.

“Our ocean ecosystem is at risk,” said Jacobson. “All this plastic pollution is devastating the wildlife in the ocean.”

So far 47 cities are covered in plastic bag free communities. (for a complete list of bans and ordinances check out http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign/plastic_bags/local). For 3 years cities and counties up and down California have been passing local ordinances to ban bags.

“Local champions have been taking the lead on protecting the Pacific Ocean,” said Jacobson. “But now we need the state to step in and ban plastic bags.”

The City of Los Angeles is expected to be the 48th city to ban single use plastic bags. A vote to ban plastic bags is expected on May 23rd 2012.

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