California is cracking down on plastic pollution. Plastic produce bags are soon to be a thing of the past in the Golden State thanks to a new law…..Plastic pollution has become so pervasive it is being found in the most remote corners of the world, the deepest point in the ocean, and scientists have even reported that microplastic particles have been found in the placentas of unborn babies. 

More than 800 animal species are affected by this marine debris, with an estimated 40 percent of whales, dolphins, and porpoises ingesting some form of this debris. Scientists estimate that approximately 90 percent of seabirds are believed to have ingested plastic.. Click here to read article: https://www.theplanetarypress.com/2022/10/california-becomes-first-u-s-state-to-prohibit-plastic-produce-bags/#:~:text=Senate%20Bill%201046%20stipulates%20that,or%20made%20from%20recycled%20paper.

Is it Really Worth the Convenience? 6 Ways Plastic is Harming Animals, the Planet and Us

Sea Turtles think plastic bags are jelly fish, their food. They eat them and they die.

The nonprofit advocacy group PennEnvironment found that a majority of companies it looked at are not complying with the city's new plastic bag ban.

File: Pedestrians carry plastic bags in Philadelphia,. Matt Rourke / AP

• by Frank KummerPublished Dec 1, 2021 “Philadelphia Inquirer”

The nonprofit advocacy group PennEnvironment says many businesses are failing to comply with Philadelphia’s new plastic bag ban, which went into effect in October, with fines beginning next year.

It also found some are using thicker bags than before and claiming they are reusable when they are not.

“They are blatantly breaking the law,” said Faran Savitz, conservation associate for PennEnvironment.

PennEnvironment staff and volunteers visited more than 50 retail stores to see if they were complying with the ban on single-use bags. They found more than half in violation, with 27 stores still providing plastic bags that are illegal under the new law.

The group also found stores that were following the law fully, “so there’s no reason other stores can’t comply,” Savitz said.

Philadelphia’s plastic bag ordinance, originally approved two years ago, was delayed by the pandemic. It prohibits businesses from using single-use plastic bags for purchases. The city launched an awareness campaign in July.

Though the law is in place, the city won’t start full enforcement, which includes fines, until April 1 in order to provide businesses ample time to prepare. Currently, the Department of Licenses and Inspections is only issuing warnings.

Karen Guss, a city spokesperson, said that officials believe compliance rates are good but that Licenses and Inspections has sent 85 warning letters to businesses, with an additional 22 being prepared. She said the warnings are having “the desired effect.”

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PennEnvironment contends businesses have known about the ban long enough to have used up old bags and prepare for the new rule.

“There’s been plenty of time for retailers to understand the law and follow it,” Savitz noted.

The goal of the ban is to help clean city streets and waterways of litter, as well as achieve an overall reduction in plastic waste.

City officials say Philadelphians use one billion plastic bags each year, many of which litter streets, waterways, and commercial corridors. The bags are not recyclable, though people try stuffing them into blue bins anyway. The lightweight plastic gets tangled in equipment at recycling facilities.

Businesses are supposed to hang signs to inform customers of the ban. The law applies to supermarkets, convenience stores, service stations, department stores, clothing stores, restaurants, food trucks, farmers markets, and delivery services.

Paper bags are allowed but must contain at least 40% recycled content.

Reusable plastic bags are acceptable but must be more than 2.25 mils thick. PennEnvironment cited several major retailers and even a state-owned liquor store as not in compliance.

Businesses cannot use plastic bags created through what’s known as a blown film extrusion process — the primary way most have been created.

“We cannot let companies run roughshod over Philadelphia’s environmental laws,” Savitz said.

There is no city requirement for retailers to charge a fee for the legal, thicker bags as in other states and municipalities with plastic bag bans, though some have been charging.

Savitz said one issue with the allowable thicker bags is that many people really don’t reuse them, resulting in even more plastic being thrown away.

He credits the city for “providing information and resources for retailers and the public.”

“We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many Philadelphia businesses that no longer use plastic bags and the Philadelphia residents who now bring reusable bags with them when they shop,” said Guss, the city spokesperson.

The city is asking residents to report violations through the 311 phone system.

Guss also said the department has heard some retailers have switched to thicker plastic bags and are claiming they are permissible when they are not.

Mayor Kenney’s administration supports an amendment to the plastic bag ordinance being proposed by Councilmember Mark Squilla that would clarify the term single-use plastic bag.

The bill would also possibly impose a 15-cent fee per bag if their use does not decline 80% by Jan. 1, 2023. However, the administration has not voiced support for that.

This story has been updated to reflect that the Kenney administration has only voiced support for further defining the term single-use plastic bag under a proposed bill.

Published Dec. 1, 2021

• Frank Kummer

• I cover regional environmental issues, including climate change, from the Poconos to Philly and its suburbs, through to the New Jersey Shore.

Jim Sautter and customer, Mary Crown, with our compostable bags.

We at BIOFUTURA-US want to congratulate Sautters’s Markets on their choice of transitioning to our BPI certified compostable bags Getting rid of single use plastic is our goal! Thank you Dave and Jim ! You’re helping to make the world a better place !

Sautter’s bags compost in 180 days in backyard compost and 80 days in commercial compost facilities (they have the right microbes for degradation and is a preferred way to go).

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE COUNTER SHOWING NUMBER OF BAGS USED EACH YEAR

See video

Plastic Facts

88 pounds of plastic retrieved from a whales stomach

Cities and countries of the world are pledging to eliminate single use plastics. Leading in this social movement are Africa, China, and India. USA manufacturers of plastics are adding more recycled plastic to their products. Unfortunately, this is good but not enough. It will not eliminate or curtail the growing plastic pollution problem. Currently there are many cities in the USA that have instituted legislation to charge retailers for plastic bags.

~ Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture.

~ It takes 500-1000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. The bags don't break down completely, but instead photo-degrade, becoming micro plastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

~ Of the 8.3 billion metric tons that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste.

~ The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags yearly.

~ Waste Management,reports only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling. The average family only recycles 15 bags a year and the rest ends up in landfills as litter.

~ Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes.

~ At least 267 different species have been affected by plastic pollution in the ocean. and 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually.

~ As well, In the U.S. 500 million plastic straws are used every day and many of those straws and stirs end up in the environment.

~ Plastic bags are banned in California, and Hawaii; several states are slated to follow. Thirteen states have adopted plastic bag legislation along with major city bans on

.~ More than 700 USA cities have plastic bag bans. Many have placed fees on paper bags charging 5-12 cents per bag. Below is a list of cities that have initiated plastic bag bans and fees on paper bags Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA , Boulder, CO, Brownsville, TX, Montgomery County, MD, New York, NY. Portland, ME, Washington D.C.

~ At least 32 countries around the world have plastic bag bans in place including Africa, China and India making the United States one of the least progressive country in the world.

~ In some countries these bans or taxes have
been in place since 2002 and have had significant impact in the reduction of plastic bag usage

~ Denmark has the lowest yearly usage in
Europe averaging 4 bags per person.

~ Consumers are becoming more environmentally aware and are choosing more eco-friendly brands and companies that support the environment’s long term needs.

copyright 2019 Sally H. Rumman

The problem is plastic waste Its on a global scale threatening our future with its degradation into toxic residue. Our goal is to eliminate the use of plastic bags and start to incorporate biodegradable bags only. It takes 500 to a 1000 years or plastic to degrade. These figures are catastrophic to the health of our planet. It is time we join in the global movement to become a greener planet and begin to take care of our earth and environment. We need to start now by taking this responsibility, personally, as global citizens to help alleviate this enormous problem.

Make a commitment:

”I pledge that I will REUSE plastic

I pledge to REFUSE plastic

I pledge if I get plastic I will RECYCLE it”

I pledge to use only biodegradable products.

The big solution is to start using available biodegradable products now ! You can make an huge impact by immediately using biodegradable grocery bags. Are you aware that only 1% of grocery bags are recycled?

*Quote from Afroz Shah, attorney and environmentalist
copyright 2019 Sally H. Rumman