California Bans Single-Use Plastic Bags

California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill Tuesday mandating that single-use plastic bags be removed from California checkout lines, a move that other states may follow. “It reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean itself,” Brown said in a statement. More than 127 cities throughout the state, including Los Angeles, have already adopted the ban, which urges shoppers to bring their own reusable bags. The act will go into effect July 1 and shoppers will still be able to use paper bags. In order to help businesses with the transition, the state will provide $2 million in loans to help those who predominately use plastic bags to produce reusable ones.