T
he Californians Against Waste website
(www.cawrecycles.org) estimates 34- to 107
million dollars is spent each year to manage
plastic bag litter in California. Of the 13 billion plastic
bags distributed annually, only 3 percent are recycled.
In the state of California alone, approximately 400
single-use plastic bags are thrown away per second.
But there's good news! Effective January 1 of this
year, the City of Los Angeles adopted an ordinance
banning single-use plastic grocery bags and placing a
10-cent minimum price requirement on paper bags.
Other cities with bans in place include West Holly-
wood, Culver City, Huntington Beach, Long Beach,
Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Glendale
and Pasadena. To date, 100 California cities and
counties have voted to ban single-use plastic bags,
covering 31 percent of the state's population.
As a promotional stunt, a bowling ball-size Super Ball
was made and dropped from a 23rd floor rooop. On its
first rebound it smashed a convertible car to bits.
"
"
PLASTIC
BAG
PROGRESS
april/may 2014 27
FINAL-WLT-APRIL-MAY.indd 27 3/30/14 7:58 PM