While local governments have been individually tackling the issue of disposable plastic bans, the statewide approach appears somewhat piecemeal. Cross an imaginary line and be charged a fee for a plastic bag; while the other side doesn’t impose the cost.

However, that fragmented approach may become a relic of the past, as legislation advanced through the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. That bill would ban single-use plastic bags throughout the state. Proponents of the bill cite the more than 123,000 tons of plastic thrown away in California as evidence that the bags pose a significant challenge to California’s environmental sustainability.

So far, 49 cities have approved plastic bag bans.

From the U-T San Diego:

A statewide movement to sack plastic bags gained momentum last week when a Senate committee in Sacramento approved a ban similar to the one Solana Beach passed in April.

Several related initiatives are advancing a future where customers must bring their own bags to checkout counters or pay a small fee for a paper bag. Plastic bag prohibitions haven’t gotten much local traction beyond Solana Beach, but they cover roughly 50 cities statewide despite lawsuits by pro-bag groups determined to stave them off.

Read the full article here.