Plastic bag manufactures have raised $6.1 million to overturn California’s plastic bag ban, while its supporters including Albertsons Safeway and the California Grocers Association have raised about $1.4 million.
In November, California voters will decide if they want to repeal the law — the first statewide ban on single use plastic bag in the US. The plastic bag ban, signed into law in 2014, has been suspended until the state’s voters cast their ballots.
Almost immediately after California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law, the American Plastic Bag Alliance, an industry group opposed to the ban, began collecting signatures to overturn it.
As Resource Recycling reports, the industry group has now raised more than $6 million ahead of the referendum, with about half of that ($2.78) coming from Hilex Poly, a Novolex company. Other major contributors include Formosa Plastics, Advance Polybag and Superbag Corp.
Meanwhile California vs. Big Plastic, an umbrella group for various ban supporters, has raised money to support the ban from grocery stores and environmental groups. Its two biggest checks came from Albertsons Safeway ($150,000) and the California Grocers Association ($100,000).
In addition to outlawing plastic retail bags, the statewide law allows grocers to charge and keep 10 cents for each recycled paper, reusable plastic or compostable bags provided to their customers.
California now has 150 different jurisdictions with bag bans, with San Diego being the latest to pass one. These local laws won’t be affected is voters overturn the statewide ban.
On the East Coast, a New York bill that would block plastic bag fees is making its way through the state’s legislature. The New York State Senate approved the bill in June.