A recent proposal to ban single-use plastic bags in California has unfortunately been struck down thanks to a combination of advertising and big-name lobbying groups, particularly the American Chemistry Council. You may be asking why this is relevant to our campaign against "styrofoam". After securing the city-wide ban, we would be interested in taking our case state-wide. When this time comes, we need to show that we are aware of the opposition against such measures and have tactics to face them. Despite the loss of a battle in California, the fight is nowhere close to completion. California would have been the first state to establish a ban against plastic bags.
The American Chemistry Council has used a portion of its $100 million [earlier, spend millions fighting ban] budget to convince the State's Senate to reject the bill. They spend millions fighting bans and regulations such as this one. To get a better picture of their budget E, The Environmental Magazine, quotes the AP:
“[The ACC] spent millions in lobbying fees, radio ads and even a prime-time television ad attacking the measure.”
Several main proponents were Heal the Bay , Clean Water Action Group, and Californians Against Waste. If the plastic bag ban were to pass, upwards of $25 million could be saved. This is the current cost of transporting the $19 billion bags to landfills.
Despite actions designed to educate the public such as this PSA video, ultimately the lobbyists were able to convince the Senate that the costs of the ban would be too great. This is unfortunate because Governor Swartzenager was ready to sign it into law.
Despite this setback however, Palo Alto and Santa Clara Counties have already begun implementing bans of their own and San Jose is poised to follow suit. Proponents of the ban are also regrouping and attempting to educate the public about the harmful effects of plastic bags. These include both environmental and economical consequences. This is especially important in California because of its location on the West Coast and proximity to water.
Links:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/01/1802136/californias-plastic-bag-ban-plan.html
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?5319
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129570458
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/sec_news_article.asp?CID=206&DID=11325
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/prop-zero/Ban-the-Bag-or-Bag-the-Ban-101825238.html
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/doc.asp?CID=1106&DID=6983
http://www.stopthebagpolice.com
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