09.18.06
California Recycling Legislation
On August 30, 2006 California passed a mandatory recycling law (AB 2449) that includes plastic bags used in grocery and retail establishments larger than 10,000 sq. ft. Along with requiring stores to maintain recycling bins, it is the responsibility of the manufacture to develop materials to educate their respective customers about recycling and the program that was established. Also the stores have to provide durable bags such as cloth or heavy gauge bags that will be able to be reused.
On the surface this may seem like a good thing but the problem is that there is not sufficient infrastructure to develop a program around and to date recycling of post consumer waste has not found a good business model to make it truly profitable.
The PBA (Progressive Bag Alliance) made up of the four large bag manufacturers were backers of the bill but they appear to have a vested interest. They have already developed programs and written materials to promote recycling that they can market to other manufacturers and stores.
I do support recycling and see its benefits. What would be nice is to see a consorted effort to educate the public and spend our resources developing the infrastructure and the methods to efficiently recycle those items that are deemed necessary. This is in contrast to a mandate from government to do so.
I believe that if you go into a grocery store and they try to give you one bag for every item, it is a matter of education. Not the consumer at that point but the grocer. Either educate them of the pack-out that the bag can hold or suggest a smaller bag. Both will solve the problem and reduce plastic usage significantly.
Another thing is that just by setting up the bins and educating the public we expect them to use the program. Most of us do something if it brings benefit to us. This to me could be seen as a inconvenience…there has to be some reward, at least at first. Do you want to have to remember to bring your own bags to the store and calculate how many you need? Looks to me like it is just another potential cost for the customer is they forgot their bags. Along with no reward for the customer there is no consequence if the customer does not follow the recycling programs.
Look, as usual, the spirit of the effort is grand but the execution lacks any teeth.
What is your opinion?
To learn more about the law go to: http://www.plasticsindustry.org/public/legreg/cabagrecycling.htm
