- cross-posted to:
- environment
- cross-posted to:
- environment
It was a decade ago when California became the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic bags, ushering in a wave of anti-plastic legislation from coast to coast.
But in the years after California seemingly kicked its plastic grocery sack habit, material recovery facilities and environmental activists noticed a peculiar trend: Plastic bag waste by weight was increasing to unprecedented levels.
According to a report by the consumer advocacy group CALPIRG, 157,385 tons of plastic bag waste was discarded in California the year the law was passed. By 2022, however, the tonnage of discarded plastic bags had skyrocketed to 231,072 — a 47% jump. Even accounting for an increase in population, the number rose from 4.08 tons per 1,000 people in 2014 to 5.89 tons per 1,000 people in 2022.
The problem, it turns out, was a section of the law that allowed grocery stores and large retailers to provide thicker, heavier-weight plastic bags to customers for the price of a dime.
Coming from a country that did this ages ago for stupid reasons.
Wait until they come for your straws. Cutting down trees for paper bags I can deal with but fucking paper straws (Mcdonalds im looking at you) is god awful.
Edit: downvoters getting sour about the paper bags consuming trees is a reality and cost of shifting resources. So do we create enormous plastic waste and destroy the environment or do we cut down trees and destroy the atmosphere. Policy change requires constructive thought, critical thought to test, and balance (not always but considered) to get the best outcome.
There are compostable straws that work quite well. Also maybe just use a metal straw, or bring your own cup, no need to have disposable everything.
Metal straw I can get bahind but other straw types just dont make it to market because money. Personally just take the lid off and use a cup like an adult.
God the fictional line of just bring your own cup. No one brings their own cup to Mcdonalds. No one. They dont accept them now anyway. Their soda machines are automated for their own cups. Their trajectory is hire less people buy more robots.
I got a paper straw the other day that actually worked really well, so it seems like someone finally figured out how to make a good one.