By Linda Reynolds, Altera Real Estate

No more plastic bags????   California could be on its way to becoming the first state to ban plastic shopping bags. In a 41-27 vote, (June 2nd, 2010) the Assembly passed a bill that would prohibit grocery stores from offering plastic bags starting January 2012. Instead, consumers would either have to carry their groceries in reusable bags or pay 5 cents or more for a paper bag made of partially recycled content. Convenience stores and drugstores, as well as mom-and-pop shops, would have to ditch the plastic bags as of July 2013.

Here are some interesting numbers about plastic bags!

• 19 billion:  Plastic bags used each year by Californians
• 552:  Plastic bags each Californian uses every year, approximately
• 147,000: Tons of waste created by plastic bags
• 5 percent to 6 percent:  Portion of plastic materials recycled in the state each year
• 500 to 1,000: Years it takes for a plastic bag to degrade, some scientists say; the exact figure hasn’t been determined.

For more information, view the complete article I accessed for this information at http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/03/state-ban-on-plastic-bags-clears-assembly/.

Linda