Aloha Everyone,
When J.J. and I are in California, I remain extra conscientious about carrying reusable shopping bags to supermarkets. In 2014, California banned free single-use plastic bags. While I applaud our daughter-in-law carrying reusable bags for all her shopping, how many people are as diligent? According to a report released in 2017 from the academic journal Science Advances, as of 2015, only 9% of plastics was being recycled, 12% was being incinerated and the other 79% was ending up in the environment. Stores will sell you reusable plastic bag for 10 to 25 cents.
California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a bill that bans full-service restaurants in the state from handing out single-use plastic straws to customers. There is a caveat. If a customer asks for one, they still give out plastic straws.
Even before Governor Brown signed the bill, our granddaughter encouraged us to stop using plastic straw. I believe she was affected by the video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw up its nostril. The video went viral circa July of this year and made many of us rethink about the disposable plastic items we use on a daily basis.
Even many of our clothes are made of plastic. We must carefully read the labels and whenever possible, choose natural fibers. Each one of us should be more cognizant and mindful that simply washing them can pollute the oceans.
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/19/17800654/clothes-plastic-pollution-polyester-washing-machine
Aloha -- Cathi