Feb 9 - Ocean Protection Council calls for Action to Reduce Plastic Litter and Waste

The California Ocean Protection Council has adopted a resolution calling for several new policies and programs aimed at reducing and recycling plastic waste and other marine debris. Among the proposals: expansion of the state's Bottle Bill program; restrictions on disposable takeout food packaging, and waste discharge requirements for facilities manufacturering plastic products.

Citing that levels of oceanic microplastics have at least tripled in the last decade and that California governments may be spending as much as $1 billion on clean-up, the state panel adopted a resolution that set timetables for the reduction of single-use plastic packaging, increasing criminal enforcement of plastics manufacturers that spill pre-production pellets, expanding the California Redemption Value to include plastics that contribute to marine debris, and to implement a phased ban of toxic plastic packaging, among many others.

Kenneth R. Weiss of the LA Times wrote:

Disgusted by pictures of trash-strewn coasts, the California Ocean Protection Council on Thursday called for an aggressive crackdown...Thursday's action came as a surprise with the three-member council amended a less ambitious staff-prepared plan with a set of 10 resolutions written by the Santa Monica-based environmental group Heal the Bay.

Read the complete aritcle.

The OPC resolution was strengthened from the version introduced as a result of lobbying and testimony from conservation and community groups led by Heal the Bay and Californians Against Waste. Setting the tone of the meeting was Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, who blasted the plastics industry for "bad housekeeping."

Watch a video of the meeting.Â

What CAW is Doing:

Lanh Nguyen