California is one step closer to a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags.

Last Friday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee passed AB 1998 and will be voted upon this Friday by the full Assembly.

If passed, the law would go into effect Jan. 1, 2012. Gov. Schwarzenegger has shown support for the move.

San Francisco made history when it became the first city to officially ban plastic shopping bags in 2007, making it a pioneer of the outlawing of common to-go plastic products.

Other cities in the Bay Area, including Oakland and Palo Alto, shortly followed suit.

However, if passed, AB 1998 would be the first statewide ban in history. Supporters say the bill would support the state’s efforts in reducing its waste.

“This legislation starts breaking our addiction to single-use plastic packaging, which has gotten completely out of control,” Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay, told the Los Angeles Times.

However, the American Chemistry Council opposes the bill, citing economic reasons. The organization says the move would cost consumers as much as $1 billion in new charges on grocery bags and could lead to job losses across the state.

“The last thing Californians need is something that acts just like a $1 billion tax added to their grocery bills – but that’s what this legislation does,” said Tim Shestek of the American Chemistry Council in Sacramento, an organization that represents plastic bag makers.

“Here we are cutting back on schools, police and health care, so it’s hard to imagine California creating a new million-dollar bureaucracy to monitor how people take home their groceries.”

A heated topic plastic bans may be, both sides agree that recycling and consumer education is the best way to handle plastics in the waste stream.

Due to their light weight, most curbside programs do not accept plastic bags. However, most grocery stores throughout the U.S. now offer plastic bag recycling.

According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, each year, Californians use 19 billion plastic bags, only 5 percent of which are recycled. The average California resident uses 600 plastic bags per year.

The average American office worker goes through around 500 disposable cups over the course of 12 months. Americans even toss out enough paper and plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times.

Much for the common disposable dinnerware, such as plastic utensils, cups and plates, is made from plastic #6. It’s the same resin used to make polystyrene foam, but because these materials are not extremely lightweight, they are easier to recycle.

We are avid touters of using your reusable dinnerware for your next shindig, but if your guest list exceeds your supply and disposable is your only option, look for dishware made from plastics that are recyclable in your curbside program or dishes that can be washed and reused.

Preserve tableware and utensils are a great choice. Made from 100 percent recycled materials, Preserve makes an entire line of dishes, cups and utensils that are sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of everyday use. They have two versions of their tableware, one for regular use in your home and one that more closely resembles the lighter make of disposables for easy transport. Both are dishwasher and microwave safe.

Need a little extra pluck for your thrifty crafts? There’s nothing like a plastic chicken to start off a conversation about saving money through the art of reuse. Photo: WOW Imports
Placemats – How cute are these crocheted placemats from CreativeJewishMom.com? Follow her easy, step-by-step instructions for turning your plain grocery sacks into a kitschy addition to your table.
Rugs and sleeping mats – Tried a placemat and ready to go bigger? Create your own, multi-colored floormat from recycled plastic bags. Or, if you’re feeling philanthropic, expand your floormat project to a sleeping mat that can be donated to a local homeless shelter. We love this project from a church in Illinois and this blanket project by a school in Florida as examples.
Furniture – Check out Ryan Frank’s rad illustration of how plastic bags can be reused in a more durable fashion, such as a chair. This may definitely be one of our most time-consuming projects, but if you’ve got the desire, it’s well worth trying!
Flowers – They may look lovely and fresh, but these flowers don’t need any watering. Check out Sustainlane’s how-to on transforming plastic bags into fresh flora.
A Chicken – We just love this fun reuse craft from South Africa, which made it into our 2008 Gift Guide. You can definitely try your own hand and save a few bucks, or purchase this chicken to support a local group in Cape Town.

Traveling – Avoid using the dry cleaning or laundry service at your hotel by wrapping bottles of shampoo, lotion and the like in an old bag. This is also an easy trick for dirty shoes or any other item in your suitcase with the potential to ruin your silk skirt or fancy tie en route to the next big meeting or family vacation.
Trash can liners – This may seem like a no-brainer, but why buy small plastic bags to line your wastebaskets in your bathroom or home office, when you’re already bringing home grocery bags that fit these smaller bins? Don’t spend money on a redundant product and prevent the need to manufacture more bags as well with this simple idea.
Packing materials – Whether you’re shipping a box to your Great Aunt Dede or simply putting an old purse or pair of shoes in storage, plastic bags offer an easy-to-use material to keep your items safe and in working order. Simply ball them up to use as cushion or filler as needed. The savings? Keeping your items pristine, of course!
Reuse it – Literally. Since a typical plastic bag weighs approximately 4 to 5 grams and can hold up to 17 pounds of product – nearly 2,000 times its own weight – they are perfect for multiple uses as a carrying device. Pack your lunch or use them to bring home groceries a few times before recycling them (see section #4). If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of reusable bags, which are typically non-recyclable, this is a great way to avoid spending extra cash on those measures.

The companies claim using a BASF Ultramid resin instead of aluminum cut the weight of the part by 50 percent.

The cross beam was developed by Hannover-Germany based ContiTech Vibration Control GmbH, in cooperation with BMW and BASF. Just a few days after series production started, the beam landed a first-place Innovation Award conferred by the Federation of Reinforced Plastics (AVK).

The transmission cross beam is a structural component designed to cope with high loads. It contributes to the overall rigidity of the vehicle and must withstand the forces and torque generated by the engine-transmission unit, as well as high temperatures resulting from proximity to the exhaust system.

ContiTech produces the component from “exceptionally strong” nylon by injection moulding. With the help of BASF’s Ultrasim development instrument, it was possible to reduce the weight by 2.2 pounds compared to the same component made of metal — cited as highly significant in lightweight car construction. In addition to weight reduction, development focused on optimizing vehicle acoustics and crash safety.

Clean Aluminium foil, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and food containers/trays will be among materials recycled by Stratford District Council’s recycling service from Tuesday, December 1.

Carrier bags and plastic food wrapping, such as cling film, will still cannot be recycled.

The council has achieved a record 63 per cent recycling rate, its previous figure having been 47 per cent.

It believes this service extension will help it achieve a 65 per cent rate next year and eventually 75 per cent.

Coun Simon Jackson, the council’s environment portfolio holder, said: “Extending our recycling service to include other types of plastics will help us to recycle more and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, which is good news all round.

“Our recycling figures are really encouraging and it demonstrates that people are really taking the recycling message on board and taking positive action to help us in our continuing quest to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill, as well as safeguarding the environment.”

The council has agreed to buy a small number of additional bins to help larger households contain their recycling and also smaller bins that are better suited to some homes.

1. Peek into a pre-threaded hole to make sure there’s no debris, like sawdust, fouling the threads. If there is any debris, use hooked tweezers to pick large pieces out, or close your eyes and blow a quick puff of air into the hole to get rid of small debris.
2. Place the tip of the screw into the hole and gently thread it into the hole, turning it clockwise with your fingers. If you feel it catching but then it’s suddenly hard to turn, you may have gotten the threads crossed; twist it out counter-clockwise, then try twisting it in again until you feel it settling in smoothly.
3. Use a screwdriver to tighten the screw to the desired torque. If you use an electric screwdriver, work cautiously and conservatively to be sure you do not overtorque the screw.

1. Decide whether an allergy to live evergreen trees prevents you from bringing one into your home. An plastic Christmas tree doesn’t trigger allergic reactions.
2. Consider whether you want to spend money every year on a live tree or whether you prefer to buy an plastic Christmas tree that you can use year after year.
3. Assess the size of the space where you will display a tree. Plastic Christmas trees are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, whereas live trees are often around the same height–about six feet tall–unless you go to a tree farm and cut one down yourself.
4. Think about upkeep of a Christmas tree. A live tree will drop its needles when it begins to dry out and the acts of bringing it into the house and back outside again can create a mess, with needles everywhere. An plastic Christmasl tree doesn’t leave a mess and should be easy to put up and take down.
5. Judge whether you have the storage space to keep an plastic Christmas tree packed away all year long. A live tree takes up no storage space and can be recycled.

With a Plastic Coil Binder, you can choose between a manual punch or electric punch operation. The advantage with an electric punch is that it operates faster than the manual punch.

The Electric Punch and Coil Inserting Combo system is foot pedal operated and very efficient to use. If you’re on a tight schedule and have a high volume, you are better off buying this machine.

Signs in Wal-Mart stores in the California cities of Folsom and Citrus Heights had announced that shoppers would soon have to either bring their own bags or buy reusable ones _ for 15 cents.

The two stores, along with a third in Ukiah, Calif., make up a small test program. Going plastic-bag-free is one of a variety of strategies being tried at stores around the world as Wal-Mart evaluates ways to meet its goal of cutting plastic bag waste 33 percent by 2013.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amelia Neufeld said the company decided that launching the reusable bag-only program just before the holiday shopping season would skew the test results.

“The goal of this test is to gauge customer reaction. We think we’ll get a more accurate reaction by offering these bags after the holidays,” she said.

Neufeld would not comment on whether recent customer reactions had driven the decision to postpone the test.

At the Folsom store earlier this week, customers interviewed by McClatchy Newspapers were roughly split on the plan.

Matthew Oliver, a Folsom resident who complained in writing at his local store after learning of the plan, said a Wal-Mart representative called him Wednesday to say the Sunday launch of the test program had been called off.

Oliver said he resented the reusable bag program because he felt it was a cost-cutting measure with a green veneer that deprived him of the right to choose how he’d like to carry his purchases.

“I just want to buy my milk from you,” he said. “I don’t want you to tell me what my political views ought to be.”

Wal-Mart is also evaluating other strategies for reducing plastic waste that don’t involve removing free plastic bags from stores altogether. It is retraining some checkers to put more items in each sack, for instance, and is considering switching to thinner bags that contain less plastic.

The company’s 15-cent reusable bags will continue to be offered at the checkout counters, Neufeld said. They are royal blue and made of a lightweight, recyclable polypropylene fabric.