The City of San Diego Officially Bans Single-Use Plastic Bags

Although plastic is not officially a part of the list of hazardous wastes, scientists think differently, urging reclassification of plastic due to its obvious danger and harmful effects to our environment.

You don’t need to be a scientist to figure this one out, however. We have long since been well-informed of the dangerous and long-term effects of plastic when improperly disposed. By improper disposal we mean the collective mindless discarding of plastic. We can’t help it, though. Single-use plastic bags are the most common material for packaging. We are all guilty of purchasing something at the store and as soon as we get into the car, we unwrap whatever it was we purchased and chuck the plastic bag out the window like it’s nobody’s business. Chances are, there are hundreds of us out there that are doing the exact same thing. The effect of that single, mindless act alone can be drastic.

It’s no wonder that the ban on single-use plastic bags has been pursued by the nation’s environmental activists for years. In California, it was San Francisco that first banned single-use plastic bags. That was back in 2007. Other municipalities followed suit. And recently, the San Diego Tribune reports that in a 6-3 vote, the city council affirmed San Diego would become the 150th municipality in California to ban single-use plastic bags.

And now the entire state has a few more months to wait until the November 8 vote that will determine whether California will ban the use of single-use plastic bags statewide.

Although some still argue that banning plastic bag usage isn’t quite enough and it’s the general attitude about it that should change – residents of the City of San Diego can now heave a collective sigh of relief as they have joined 149 other municipalities in an effort to building a more sustainable environment for both people and wildlife.

Hopefully, we will soon see plastic reclassified as hazardous waste so that not only its usage can be looked into but its production and disposal as well. Hazardous waste disposal in San Diego is continuous issue faced by both local and state levels and hopefully, plastic will join its long list of hazardous waste to ensure that people will dispose of it like the way they dispose a can of excess paint or refillable propane cylinders – with utmost care and concern for the environment.