California voters leave plastic bag ban in effect

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s ban on singleuse plastic carry-out bags will stay in effect after voters narrowly approved the policy, according to preliminary results Thursday.

Plastic bag industry supporters placed Proposition 67 on Tuesday’s ballot hoping there wouldn’t be enough voter support to keep a ban approved by the state Legislature two years ago. The measure was approved by 52 percent of voters.

Environmental groups and other critics say the issue was put on the ballot to confuse voters.

“California voters have taken a stand against a deceptive multimilliondollar campaign by out-ofstate plastic bag makers,” said Mark Murray of Californians Against Waste, co-chair of the campaign. “This is a significant environmental victory that will mean an immediate elimination of the 25 million plastic bags that are polluted in California every day, threatening wildlife.”

A coalition of environmental groups, grocers and others led the campaign to uphold the statewide ban.

Plastic companies and bag manufacturers spent more than $6 million to place Proposition 67, and a tandem measure, Proposition 65, on the ballot.

Lee Califf, the executive director of the American Progressive Bag Alliance, which led the campaign to repeal the statewide ban, issued a concession statement.

“With the narrow approval of Proposition 67 California voters have unfortunately set themselves up for a serious case of buyer’s remorse,” Califf said. “Plastic bag bans don’t meaningfully reduce overall waste or litter or provide a positive environmental impact, but they do threaten tens of thousands of American manufacturing jobs, hit consumers in the wallet and drive people to use less environmentally friendly carry-out options.”

Paper bags will still be for sale at grocers and other outlets for a nominal fee.

California voters also rejected Proposition 65, which would have funneled bag fees to a fund to support environmental programs in the form of grants administered by the California Wildlife Conservation Board, Califf said.

“Now, instead of bag fees going to an environmental fund, grocers will keep hundreds of millions of dollars in new profits without providing any public benefit,” Califf said.

More than 150 California communities already have local plastic bag bans in place.

Eric Risberg / Associated Press file Two years ago, California’s Legislature passed a statewide ban that Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law. After Tuesday’s vote, the ban will remain in force.