The two bills would ban reusable and recyclable plastic film grocery bags in the state. Credit: ND700 via Shutterstock.

The Responsible Recycling Alliance (RRA), comprising EFS Plastics, Merlin Plastics, and PreZero US, has expressed its disappointment over the California, US, legislature’s decision to pass the AB 2236 and SB 1053 bills.  

These bills, now awaiting state governor Gavin Newsom’s approval, propose a ban on reusable, recyclable plastic film grocery bags, advocating for a paper bag-only policy. 

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The RRA, a coalition formed to support plastic waste reduction initiatives in California, argues that the proposed legislation will, contrary to expectations, lead to adverse outcomes for the environment, businesses, and consumers.  

The alliance emphasises that paper bags require more water and energy to produce and recycle compared to reusable plastic film bags. 

It also argues that the requirement for paper-only packaging would result in higher costs for small- and medium-size grocers. 

PreZero US public affairs vice-president and RRA spokesperson Roxanne Spiekerman said: “This ill-advised approval will create a cascade of problems for every Californian. These lawmakers chose to enact legislation that they know is flawed despite specific examples, studies, and polls that show banning plastic film grocery bags hurts consumers, businesses, is not what Californians want, and does not help the environment or limit plastic waste. 

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“We’re just now starting to see the benefits of the plastic recycling programmes introduced via 2016’s SB 270. If governor Newsom signs these bills into law, California will undercut a decade of hard work that improved our state’s environment and will effectively have wasted millions of taxpayer dollars invested in this critical effort.”  

Recently, California enhanced its recycling capabilities with the introduction of more than 250 new recycling sites across 30 counties.