SAN DIEGO — California lawmakers are pushing for stricter plastic bag laws.
"Single use plastic bags are the one of the biggest sources of plastic pollution," San Diego Coastkeeper Executive Director and Coastkeeper, Phillip Musegaas said.
Lawmakers introduced a new bill earlier this week in Sacramento that would ban stores from offering customers any sort of plastic bags at checkout. They say they want to make the plastic bags illegal because of what they say are loopholes in the current statewide ban on single-use plastic bags that was passed in 2014.
"This bill would make it so that when you buy your groceries at the grocery store if you don't bring your reusable bag, you have the opportunity to take your groceries home in a paper bag," District 38 State Senator Catherine Blakespear said.
Senator Blakespear from Encinitas is one of the lawmakers that introduced the new legislation.
“I think we should ban them, I think we need to protect Mother Earth. And isn’t that the reason why we banned the plastic to begin with? Because it’s not good for the landfills," said Terry Laforce, who approves of the proposed legislation.
Lawmakers say the ban passed by state legislature in 2014 is no longer working as intended.
“They’re ending up as trash just as much as the thinner plastic bags did," state director for CALPIRG Jenn Engstrom said. "And because they’re a little thicker plastic bag, waste by weight has actually increased in the last few years to an all-time high."
Lawmakers and a broad coalition of supporters that includes environmental groups say the plastic industry has bypassed state law by passing plastic film bags as reusable.
“The problem is that they just took advantage of that definition of reusable and created something that, you know, maybe fits the definition but it’s not really intended to be reused. It’s not designed to be reused and they’re not being reused, which is the problem," Engstrom said.
Meanwhile some people say, things should be left as they are. Keith William tells CBS 8 that its about educating the community about recycling their bags after each use.
"it's just ridiculous, they should just keep it the way it is and try to educate people a little bit more, Williams said.
Williams is not a fan of the idea of replacing plastic bags with paper bags, he adds more harm will be done to trees by tearing them down.
"Plus, they are not as strong, so they won't be able to carry all those items in one or two bags," Williams said.
Engstrom said the new legislation aims to build on California’s environmental stance by strengthening regulations.
"We need to go back and just really tightened up that definition of reusable," she added.
The legislation would require stores to provide 100 percent recycled paper bags or let consumers use reusable bags.
"I think it's ok to ban it, I just, I also feel bad for people who can't really afford to get a reusable bag the time and they just opt to get one of the plastic bags while they're at the store," San Diegan Aspyn Hoskins said.
If passed, the new ban would start in 2026. If the legislature passes the bill, it would be up to Gov. Gavin Newsom to decide whether to sign it into law.
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