From our friends at Citizens Campaign for the Environment
SB 1003- An Act Concerning Single-Use Plastic and Paper Bags has received a public hearing and now must be voted out of committee before the 3/29 deadline. There is an Environment committee meeting scheduled for this Monday, but the agenda has not been posted yet. We need everyone to contact the Environment Committee leadership and urge them to vote this bill out of committee as soon as possible!
Tell the Environment Committee to Pass a Bag Ban for the 21st Century!
SB 1003 would ban plastic checkout bags in Connecticut, without addressing paper bags. This is a good first step, but it can create an unintended consequence—encouraging consumers to switch to paper bag use, which also adversely impacts our environment. The goal is not to switch from plastic to paper; the goal is to switch from single-use bags to reusable bags!
Additionally, we must push back against so-called “compostable” plastic bags! The Governor’s proposed plastic bag surcharge contained a loophole exempting “compostable” plastic bags from the charge. This is blatant green washing! ASTM D6400 compliant plastic bags are certified compostable in an anaerobic digester. This does not suggest that these plastics will ever break down if they escape into the environment. We must make sure that the committee does not create loopholes for this material!
Please consider contacting ENV committee leadership TODAY and ask them to support SB 1003, with amendments to promote reusable bag use through a charge on paper bags!
Sen. Christine Cohen, Chair: Christine.Cohen@cga.ct.gov
Rep. Mike Demicco, Chair: Mike.Demicco@cga.ct.gov
Sen. Julie Kushner, Vice-Chair: Julie.Kushner@cga.ct.gov
Rep. Joe Gresko, Vice-Chair: Joseph.Gresko@cga.ct.gov
Sen. Craig Miner, Ranking Member: Craig.Miner@cga.ct.gov
Rep. Stephen Harding: Stephen.Harding@housegop.ct.gov
Sample Text (copy text between dotted lines):
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Dear Legislative Leaders:
I am writing to urge you to help eliminate pollution from single-use plastic bags by banning plastic checkout bags in Connecticut. Additionally, I support promoting reusable bag use through a charge on paper bags.
Please support SB 1003- An Act Concerning Single-Use Plastic and Paper Bags, with amendments to add a charge on paper bags! Lawmakers should not pass a ban that replaces one single-use bag with another. Connecticut needs a bag ban that encourages consumers to Bring Your Own Bag.
Additionally, I am opposed to creating loopholes for so-called “compostable” plastic bags. Compostable bio-plastics are designed to break down in an anaerobic digester and are not biodegradable in the natural environment. If disposed of improperly, compostable bags may continue to threaten aquatic wildlife and cause problems for municipal recyclers!
Connecticut can be a leader in environmental protection by eliminating wasteful, environmentally harmful single-use checkout bags in 2019! Please help eliminate pollution from single-use checkout bags in Connecticut by voting SB 1003 out of committee, as soon as possible.
