Way to go CA!
Finally some good news for our environment! California State Assembly voted 41 to 27 to pass a bill to ban single-use plastic bags. Plastic bags will still be available, but not for free. Shoppers will need to pay a minimum of 5-cents for a recycled bag if they forget their own reusable bags. The bill still needs to pass the Senate, which is it expected to do, then Governor Schwarzenegger will sign it into law.
I don't think I need to point out the negative effects of plastic bag use. Areas that have enacted similar laws have seen drastic drops in plastic bag use. Washington, DC began charging a 5-cent tax on plastic bags in January and saw a reduction in use from 22 million to 3 million in one month.
So what are the best reusable bags out there? Well, for general shopping, I love my Chico bags. They fold up nicely, easy to pop into my purse, and they hold a lot. For groceries, I prefer my Trader Joe's bags. At only 99-cents each, they're affordable. They're not floppy, so much easier to fill and the wipe clean surface is a big plus. I have a few bags from Whole Foods that are great size wise, but you really have to think while packing, using boxes and other hard items to create sides to the bag.
What's your favorite bag?