In California, the days of ocean-polluting, wildlife-killing plastic bags are over.
Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed into law a bill that makes the Golden State the first in the nation to enact a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. (Citywide bans are already in effect in San Francisco; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; and other municipalities.)
Beginning July 1, 2015, the bill will require retailers to provide alternatives such as recycled paper bags for at least a dime a pop.
“The bill is a step in the right direction—it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks, and even the vast ocean itself,” Brown said in a statement. “We’re the first to ban these bags, and we won’t be the last.”
Here, in numbers, is how the ban will affect California, wildlife, and the environment.
—Kristina Bravo