Mandatory Recycling

Beginning July 1, 2007, California will become the first state to initiate a mandatory plastic bag recycling program.

The effort is being hailed by plastic-bag manufacturers, who say the recycling effort is reducing a glut of bags and providing a reservoir of plastic to remanufacture into other products. For example, recycled bags are melded with wood shavings to make weather-resistant lumber products.
"This is the first state that has a mandatory recycling program and we're excited about that," said Andrew DeVilling, spokesman for the Progressive Bag Alliance, a Houston and Los Angeles-based group representing plastic-bag manufacturers. "It makes it clear that these bags are 100 percent recyclable."

So, it appears that some industries are favorable to the program. BUT, we still need to try and convince shoppers to bring bags back to the stores (to deposit in provided bins). When possible, it would still be great for us to opt for reusable canvas bags - so we don't have to worry about remembering to recycle plastic bags, and we don't have to worry about killing trees for paper bags...