It turns out that some reusable bags aren’t reusable at all! How do I know this? Well, about a year and a half ago, my husband received a free reusable bag from his new healthcare provider. The bag contained very useful information, a free pen and bonus, you get to keep the bag. We added… [read more]
California’s plastic bag ban on hold
I must confess, I have been avoiding writing about this subject for awhile. But in an attempt to face reality, here’s the deal…California’s statewide plastic bag ban is on hold. The plastics industry spent $3.2 million gathering signatures to overturn the new law and alas, California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that the referendum… [read more]
Californians report your experience with signature gatherers
In my last post about the plastics industry’s effort to overturn SB270, California’s state ban on single-use plastic bags, I forgot to mention one thing. If you happen to bump into a signature gatherer when you’re out and about, the organization Californians Against Waste would like to hear about it. They’re collecting information on people’s… [read more]
Say no to bag petitions
On September 30, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 270 into law, officially making California the first state to ban single-use plastic bags. And now that ban is under attack! The plastics industry has teamed up to overturn the ban through Calfornia’s referendum process. Proponents of a referendum have 90 days from the day a… [read more]
Imagine a country where everyone voted
Election Day on Nov. 4 reminded me of my last interaction with an elected official’s office. It was the middle of August and SB 270, the statewide ban on single-use plastic bags, was working its way through the California State Assembly. At that point, the bill had made it out of committee and was headed… [read more]
Happy plastic bag-free New Year!
Yesterday was the first day of the New Year and the first day of the City of Los Angeles plastic bag ban. What a thrilling way to start 2014. Hooray, hooray! I actually thought the plastic bag ban didn’t start until July 1, 2014, but then I started seeing signs…as in real signs, not omens.… [read more]
See the movie Plastic Paradise
Join me on December 3rd at 7:30pm to see the documentary “Plastic Paradise” at the Laemmle’s Royal Theatre in West Los Angeles. As soon as I heard about this movie, I knew I had to see it. Many of us have read about the plastic plague impacting our oceans, but do we really understand the… [read more]
A gift wrapped in biodegradable plastic
My in-laws recently visited Los Angeles and they came bearing gifts! During a trip to Italy, they went on a tour of Federica, a famous Murano glass production facility and maker of awesome Murano glass animals. They picked up a beautiful glass dolphin for me, which was very exciting to receive. How is this relevant… [read more]
One Piece: it all adds up!
Yesterday I received something very cool in the mail: a One Piece sticker! What’s that you say? Well, the One Piece sticker is the brainchild of Tom Fucigna, a writer, ocean fan, paddleboard enthusiast, environmental steward and all around cool guy doing whatever he can to help save the oceans and in particular Florida’s coast.… [read more]
Thank you for the plastic grocery bag ban Los Angeles!
As I was busy spending time with my parents who were visiting last week, an amazing thing happened: On June 26, 2013, outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed into law a plastic bag ban for the City of Los Angeles. At first I was confused because I thought the plastic bag ban had already passed last… [read more]