California lawmakers punt on breaking free from plastic

On the last day of their 2019 session, California lawmakers failed to vote on the nation’s most ambitious plastic pollution reduction bill.

Companion bills filed in the Senate and Assembly would have put California on a path to reducing single-use plastic packaging and foodware by 75 percent by 2030. By 2030, all packaging and single-use foodware would have needed to be recyclable or compostable.

“From turtles with plastic straws stuck in their noses to whales with bellies full of plastic bags washing up on our beaches, you don’t need to look very hard to see an enormous plastic pollution problem,” said Dan Jacobson, Environment California state director. “We’ll keep calling for legislation that prioritizes the well-being of wildlife over the convenience and waste of single-use plastics.”

Legislators can vote on the bills in January. Environment California will be ready to make the case and rally our members to take action.

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Photo: Companion bills filed in the Senate and Assembly would have put California on a path to reducing single-use plastic packaging and foodware by 75 percent by 2030. Credit: Ricky Mackie Photography.