California legislature passes grocery bag recycling act.

The California Senate has passed a bill that would require retail stores in the state of California to establish collection and recycling programs for grocery bags. The bill awaits Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature.

AB 2449, sponsored by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, would require stores with at least 40,000 square feet in retail space to provide consumers the opportunity to recycle plastic grocery bags. The bill also would require stores to place a plastic grocery bag recycling bin inside their premises and to make reusable bags available for customers to purchase.

The bill passed the California State Assembly by a vote of 62-2 and the California State Senate by a vote of 29-9.

"California retailers are beginning to recognize the problems posed by plastic bags and their responsibility in helping to tackle that problem," Levine says. "However, if Californians want to begin to really address this problem we need to create a statewide program. In the end, the sacrifices we must make are small in relation to the significant gains we can achieve through this legislation. I urge the governor to sign this important measure."

Californians Against Waste, the Planning and Conservation League, the California League of Conservation Voters, the Alameda County Waste Management Authority, the California Grocers Association and the California Retailers Association supported the bill.