Earthwise Bag Company Thanks Governor Brown, Celebrates Statewide Ban on Single-Use Plastic Bags
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 02, 2014 -- On Tuesday, September 30th, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation enacting the nation’s first statewide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags – SB 270 – aligning California state law with the over 120 city and county ordinances passed in California to reduce plastic waste. Earthwise Bag Company, Inc. applauds and appreciates Governor Brown’s leadership in moving the state forward with a commitment to sustainability.
SB 270, authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), Senator Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) and Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Huntington Park/Long Beach), prohibits grocery stores and pharmacies from distributing single-use plastic shopping bags after July 1, 2015 and will expand to convenience stores and liquor stores the following year. Stores will be able to sell paper, durable reusable bags, and compostable bags for a minimum of $0.10 each. The $0.10 minimum charge is to encourage consumers to bring their own reusable bags. The legislation also looks to protect and generate good green jobs.
Earthwise Bag Company, Inc. has actively supported the single-use plastic bag ban in Sacramento and at the local level. “Our products are currently offered at hundreds of retail stores and used by millions of Californians each day to carry groceries and other goods from stores to their homes and businesses, thus eliminating the need for millions of single-use plastic bags and reducing the harmful environmental impacts of those bags”, said Stanley R. Joffe, President of Earthwise Bag Company, Inc. “Moreover, our products are compliant with relevant durability requirements for reusable grocery bags in the more than 120 local jurisdictions that have adopted ordinances banning single-use plastic shopping bags, and are fully compliant with the same requirements specified in SB 270.”
“SB 270 is a win-win for California jobs as well as the environment. While we are finally doing away with the ubiquitous single-use plastic bag and the plastic pollution and waste that it has generated for so long, we are also maintaining and growing good green jobs here in California”, said Joffe. “Earthwise Bag Company is now producing hundreds of thousands of bags in the US including many thousands right here in Los Angeles. We employ over 40 people and our US production employs hundreds of others, from cutters, sewers, printers, shipping companies, and more. This is creating hundreds of good green jobs in California and it will only continue to grow.”
Rewind nearly 60 years ago - August 1955 - Life magazine published an article titled "Throwaway Living" with the subheading reading “Disposable Items Cut Down Household Chores”. The article glamorized the use of disposable items and new plastic items being developed were considered brand new to the marketplace and touted as the wave of the future, meant to give working Americans more spare time to enjoy themselves. It was in this article that the phrase, “throw-away society” was first coined. This term describes a critical view of overconsumption and excessive production of short-lived or disposable items. Back then, “use once and throw it away” was a fanciful, even attractive notion: we envisioned an entire society where everything was quick, instant, easy and disposable.
“Fast-forward two or three generations and it’s the way we live. Evidence of our “throw-away society” has become ubiquitous and destructive to our planet. California has now taken a monumental step to correct the effects of this behavior with SB 270”, said Joffe.
Earthwise Bag Company proclaims this landmark policy a great victory for California! Data from local single-use plastic bag bans have shown to be effective at not only reducing litter, providing for cleaner waterways and healthier wildlife, but by driving consumers towards more sustainable behavior.
About Earthwise Bag Company, Inc.
Headquartered in Burbank, CA, Earthwise is the leading manufacturer of reusable bags in the U.S. They specialize in providing a full line of shopping bags, multi-use totes, insulated bags, wine totes and produce bags that combine functionality and aesthetics, offering a great reusable option at a very affordable price. They can also be fully customized, with a variety of colors to choose from and the option to display a company logo or custom graphic, personal initials, graphics or messages. Earthwise is the brand of eco-friendly products that inspire responsibility and accountability because a fresh approach to feeling good about your planet should be simple, feel comfortable, and bring peace of mind. For more information, please visit http://www.earthwisebags.com
Lisa Garcia, [email protected], 818-847-2174, [email protected]
Share this article