Proposition 67: Referendum to Overturn Ban on Single –Use Plastic Bags
Prop 67 seeks to ratify Senate Bill 270 approved in 2014, banning retailers from providing single-use carryout bags for free, though they would be allowed for perishable items like meat, dairy and produce. But Senate Bill 270 was overturned by referendum in 2015 – effectively "bagging" the plastic bag ban until the upcoming election in November. Prop 67 seeks to reinstate the 2014 ban throughout California (remember that certain cities currently enforce a bag ban).
Who’s for Prop 67?
Groups like the Sierra Club and Heal the Bay are endorsing Proposition 67, stating that less single-bags mean less pollution. These groups want to ban single-use bags for good, which are hardly ever recycled (less than 5 percent), poison the ecosystem, and add up to extra costs for consumers.
In addition to high-profile environmental groups, Prop 67 is endorsed by the Northern California Recycling Association.
Who’s Against Prop 67?
Fight the Plastic Bag Ban says it is a grassroots effort not associated with bag manufacturers. The group claims the referendum to challenge 2014’s SB 270 was endorsed by voters, pushed through via petitions and signatures; and that approving the ban would create inequality between consumers – those exempt from purchasing bags and those who must subsidize the cost of bags for the exempt shoppers. Additionally, municipalities could continue to ban single-use bags at the local level.
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