To the editor: Thirty years ago, I moved from Los Angeles to North Carolina, and last spring was the first time I returned to California, by road. What was omnipresent throughout the 2,569 miles it took to reach California was the plague of plastic bags, stuck in fences, signs, rocks, trees, cacti and even tumbleweeds.
Regardless of the conclusion that your state's ban on single-use bags has not reduced waste, once we entered California, the absence of plastic “landscapes” was notable and welcome.
Changing the law could help people develop a habit I started when I bought my first duffel bag in 1982 at Trader Joe's in Redondo Beach. I began to learn to enter any store with my own bag, and every time I had to return to my car to retrieve the bags he taught me to remember them, starting with not leaving the house without them.
Valarie Schwartz, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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To the editor: It was easy to see from the beginning that California's ban on single-use plastic bags was a failure. The well-intentioned were led astray by those seeking profit.
How could you know this was headed for disaster? Everyone in front of you in the checkout line said “yes” to the bags, even if they only had one or two items.
That meant, of course, that the “recyclable” bags they opted for on their last trip ended up in the trash. The new bags were sturdier because they contained more plastic, which added to this debacle.
Obviously, the solution is to completely ban plastic bags, whether they are “recyclable” or not.
Denys Arcuri, Indian
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To the editor: It was very disheartening to read your article saying that plastic waste in California has increased, even with the ban on single-use plastic bags.
Heavier “reusable” plastic bags were supposed to reduce the amount of waste. But on any given day at a market, you'll see customers buying a dozen new bags to carry their purchases, rather than reusing old ones. It is obvious that the 10 cent per bag fee has done almost nothing to discourage waste.
It's very easy to carry your old bags to the store, whether they are heavy plastic bags or larger canvas bags. It is simply lazy and environmentally irresponsible not to do this. Canvas bags are much more convenient than plastic ones because they hold two to four times more food.
I would like to see the baggage fee increased to $1. This would quickly develop the habit of bringing the bags back for reuse.
Jay Shapiro, Woodland Hills
