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[GreenYes] Stop AB 2449. Last Chance to help stop anti Zero Waste legislation.



Dear California Greenyes members,

Urgent! Governor Schwarzenegger has not signed or vetoed AB 2449 (Levine)
Plastic Film Bag Recycling Bill . (See previous my previous post at
http://groups.google.com/group/GreenYes/browse_thread/thread/b3d3f67c64b70b8c
for more info.) He has until Saturday to sign or veto the bill.

Zero Waste organizations such as GRRN, Heal the Bay, The California Resource
Recovery Association (CRRA), the Northern California Recycling Association
(NCRA), and Earth Resource Foundation have opposed the bill. Yet, since
Californians Against Waste is influential and is still sending action alerts
in support of the bill, we still need to speak up.

Why am I asking you to take such an interest in this piece of CA
legislation? While this bill may be ostensibly about recycling, it is
actually a legislation that is a set back for all local Zero Waste and local
EPR measures. Passage of this bill will tie our hands for six years to
pursue upstream Zero Waste solutions and impose measures for Extended
Producer Responsibility on this product. That's why communities with a Zero
Waste goal have been quick to oppose it.

The GrassRoots Recycling Network & the Earth Resource Foundation ask you to
take just two minutes to email the governor ask him to VETO AB 2449. Click
the link www.govmail.ca.gov
It's so simple and easy you can send a comment in less time than it takes to
read most posts on greenyes. We know it's late on Friday, but even a few
more voices would help.

The list of Zero Waste organizations & communities opposing the bill is
growing:

City of Palo Alto
City of Oakland
City of Santa Monica
City of Los Angeles
City and County of San Francisco
County of Marin
San Luis Obispo County
The California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA)
The Northern California Recycling Association (NCRA)
CRRA Monterrey Bay Chapter


Sincerely,
Linda Christopher, Executive Director, GrassRoots Recycling Network (GRRN)

P.S. Please visit www.earthresource.org for more information about the bill.
I've pasted more info about AB 2449 Courtesy of Heal the Bay & The Earth
Resource Foundation below.
You may also read my previous post at
http://groups.google.com/group/GreenYes/browse_thread/thread/b3d3f67c64b70b8c
for more information
and refer to the letter from CRRA that Gary Liss posted yesterday.
**********************************************************************************

Info about AB 2449 Courtesy of Heal the Bay & Earth Resource Foundation:
URGENT CALL TO ACTION TO OPPOSE A BAD BILL

Claims that AB 2449, currently on the Governor's desk, is an environmental
bill are GREENWASHING! It may seem like a nice recycling bill, but IT'S BAD
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. Take Action NOW by contacting Governor Schwarzenegger
and ask him to VETO AB 2449.

This bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Levine, was originally intended to help
eliminate the glut of plastic bags that are wasted as a resource and end up
as litter, landfill or in the ocean. This bill was hijacked by the plastics
industry and its intent was changed completely. This bill has preemptive
language regarding local action on plastic bags (which we well know are a
significant component of marine debris).

The amended bill now prohibits localities from imposing fees, bans, levies,
and restrictions on plastic carryout bags. Local actions have often driven
large, even global recycling improvements and innovations in the past, and
it is critical to retain local power and flexibility so communities can
control their own resource flows. If this bill passes, cities like San
Francisco and Santa Monica who are seeking to reduce bag usage would be
prevented from imposing a fee, or other progressive measures. Even Los
Angeles City Council voted to ask the Governor for a veto!

The bill simply codifies the status quo, and will derail progress in local
areas.

FACTS ABOUT AB 2449:

· 1. This bill would require grocery stores to collect and recycle
plastic bags. MOST STORES ALREADY DO THIS!

· 2. The bill would require grocery stores to offer reusable bags for
sale as an alternative to single-use plastic bags. MOST STORES ALREADY DO
THIS!

· 3. The bill would require plastic bag manufacturers to develop
public awareness materials and make them available to stores. IT WOULD NOT
REQUIRE STORES TO POST THESE MATERIALS!

· 4. The bill would protect grocers who comply with these
requirements (MOST GROCERS WILL COMPLY BY DOING NOTHING NEW!) by exempting
them for six years from any local efforts to reduce
plastic bag use. No progress for six more years!!

State and local governments in California need to take action to REDUCE THE
USE OF PLASTIC BAGS, NOT PERPETUATE THEIR PRODUCTION AND USE. These bags
and other plastic materials are a huge part of the litter and marine debris
problem, clogging storm drains, fouling beaches and waterways, killing
marine mammals and birds, and threatening the future health of our oceans.

Many countries in Europe and Asia are attempting to eradicate plastic bags.
Some are banning plastic bags altogether while others are implementing a tax
on plastic bags to decrease their use.
· -- Bangladesh banned plastic bags in early 2002 after finding that
drainage systems choked by discarded bags were the main culprit during
floods that submerged two-thirds of the country in 1988 and
1998. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1974750.stm
· -- In 2001, the city of Bombay, India, eliminated the use of
plastic bags to prevent them from littering the streets and clogging up the
city's sewerage system. As a result, merchants have
switched to recycled paper bags, and litter in the city has been reduced
considerably. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1329600.stm
· -- A 15-cent tax on plastic bags introduced in Ireland in 2002
resulted in a 90 percent reduction in single-use plastic bags within five
months! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2205419.stm

ASK THE GOVERNOR TO VETO AB 2449! Tell the Governor we won't settle for
concessions to the plastic industry masquerading as environmental
legislation!
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Email: To send an Email please visit: http://www.govmail.ca.gov



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