plastic bags

California's legislators have a reputation for being environmentally aware and concerned, but Huffington Post blogger and environmental attorney Lisa Kaas Boyle paints a different picture of the supposedly "green" policies California politicians espouse. Boyle writes about a new Senate Bill with a familiar purpose, Senate Bill 405, which is the latest incarnation of the plastic bag ban bill which reappears regularly, and is consistently voted down.

An article from the BBC today has announced that Mauritania, Africa has banned plastic bags after a series of alarming statistical findings have determined that more than 70% of cattle and sheep in its capital city have died from ingesting plastic. According to the BBC, plastic makes up a quarter of 56,000 tons of waste produced in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. The government of Mauritania has responded to the figures, commenting:

The United Arab Emirates Government has created legislation in an attempt to rid Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other emirates of plastic bags by creating a law that only biodegradable bags may be used in all businesses beginning January 2013. The Green Prophet's Tafline Laylin reports that while this is a well meaning attempt to eliminate the plastic problem, many fear that the legislation will not be sufficient to curb plastic pollution. According to Laylin:

An article in the Peninsula Daily News this week announced that Port Townsend, Washington will be joining the growing ranks of towns in which plastic bags have been banned. According to contributor Charlie Bermant, plastic bags will be banned, and a 5 cent tax will be levied on all regular sized paper bags. The ban excludes plastic bags covering newspapers and dry cleaning, and the tax on paper bags excludes smaller bags for produce. These measures have been implemented to encourage shoppers to bring their own, reusable bags. Writes Bermant:

Green activist group Greener Upon Thames is campaigning at the London 2012 Olympics to encourage visitors to refuse single use plastic bags during the games. According to the organization, the Olympics could generate a vast amount of plastic waste that would travel around the world and create a global problem which would shame Britain as a country. Guardian reporter Rebecca Smithers writes:

Recently, Toronto Mayor Tom Ford has abolished the previous government's fee on plastic bags at supermarket checkouts, insisting that it was a tax on consumers that was unnecesary. While no longer required by law to charge a fee for plastic bags, many Toronto stores have continued to do so -- a gesture which has frustrated the Mayor. Retailers such as Loblaws and Metro are upholding their 5 cent bag fee, and say that they are planning to donate the money collected from the fee to charities. According to the article by Vidya Kauri in the National Post:

The Scottish Government is currently discussing plans to institute a 5p bag tax for plastic carrier bags dispensed in stores, according to an article on the BBC yesterday. The article suggests that the plans are being debated as part of a three month consultation proposed by the Scottish National Party, and have taken into consideration a successful fee imposed by Wales in October, leading to a substantial decrease in plastic bag use. The article cites a few of the most outspoken defenders of the fee:

In an article published today through Bulgaria's Sofia News Agency, it was announced that the Bulgarian government has imposed a higher fee for the usage of plastic bags in an effort to slow their usage. According to Novinite.com, the Bulgarian cabinet voted today to raise the fee for plastic bags from BGN 0.15 to BGN 0.35, with an aim to reach BGN 0.55 by the year 2014.

In an article released today on the Environmental Leader, it was announced that amusement park chain Sea World Parks and Entertainment is set to phase out the use of plastic bags in its ten theme parks by the end of the year. According to the article, "When the initiative is fully implemented, park gift shops will offer paper bags made from 100 percent recycled paper, and give guests the option to buy reusable bags. SeaWorld hopes the move will keep an estimated four million plastic bags from entering landfills and the environment each year."

In an article published today in the Vietnamese news distributor, Saigon GP Daily, writer M. Hai reports that Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, faces a vast quantity of plastic pollution as a result of single use shopping bags. The article states that a staggering 60 tons of plastic bags are thrown away each day in the city according to figures by the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. Recycling efforts are failing in the face of this overwhelming figure, and although a tax has been applied on the bags, the problem persists. Writes Hai: