LOSS: SB 54 and AB 1080 fail to pass California legislature
Update (September 1, 2020):
CEC and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper are sad to share that the landmark California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (SB 54 and AB 1080) failed to pass the California legislature. The bill did pass the Senate but did not get pushed to the Assembly in time (along with many other bills). The bill did fail in the Assembly. Since this was the second year of a two-year session, the bills cannot be brought back. There is a concurrent effort for a similar initiative in 2022 that has a good chance to qualify for the ballot – we will keep you informed about this effort and opportunities to take action. Thanks to your plastic pollution reduction advocacy, both bills received a lot of attention, elevating this important issue. We now have a broad coalition committed to drastically reducing plastic pollution and greater support for plastic waste reduction in the legislature than ever before. Even though these bills did not pass, we can continue to use the power of our pocketbooks to send a strong message to companies that we want to purchase items packaged in materials that are truly recyclable.
If you missed it, watch CEC's Webinar Series on Plastics and learn how we eat, drink and breathe plastic, what can and cannot be recycled, how Ablitt's film plastic diversion program works, and access resources to better equip you for a plastic-free lifestyle. Thank you for all you do to #ditchplastic in your daily life – together we are reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Original Alert:
On or before Monday, August 31, two landmark bills will come to the floor for a vote by the California legislature. If passed, SB 54 and AB 1080 will help to drastically reduce all single-use packaging and priority single-use food service ware in California by 75% – and ensure that remaining items are reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2032.CEC and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper have been working together on plastics reduction in our region for over a decade. As you probably know, single-use plastic products and packaging are piling up in our landfills, blighting our neighborhoods, clogging our rivers and streams, and harming human and wildlife health – but we have a chance to reverse this mess.
We must fight back now, while there’s still time. Contact your elected officials today and urge them to vote YES on SB 54 and AB 1080.
We need our legislators to stand up to those who profit from these problematic and poorly designed products at the expense of our communities and the environment.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
Contact your California State Assemblymember and Senator
Below are links to offices in our region:
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
Assemblymember Monique Limón
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson
VENTURA COUNTY
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham
State Senator Bill Monning
Keep your correspondence short and to the point. Since most contact forms have a 200 character limit, we have drafted an example that you can use:
The time is now for California to lead on plastic pollution and waste reduction. We must protect our environment and oceans for future generations. Please vote YES on AB 1080 (Assembly) and/or SB 54 (Senate).
Call your California State Assemblymember and Senator
If you prefer to call your representative, contact them at their Sacramento (not local) office. If you get an answering machine, please leave a message. You can call even if it is after work hours. Every call is counted.
Share this message on social media to urge your representatives – and your network – to take action
Below are a few example posts:
@AsmMoniqueLimon please protect our environment and oceans for future generations and vote YES on AB 1080. The time is NOW for CA to lead on plastic pollution and waste reduction. #CAMustLead #YESon1080
@SenHannahBeth please protect our environment and oceans for future generations and vote YES on SB 54. The time is NOW for CA to lead on plastic pollution and waste reduction. #CAMustLead #YESon54
Do you want to help drastically reduce all single-use packaging in California? Contact @SenHannahBeth today and urge her to vote YES on SB 54. #CAMustLead #YESon54
Thank you for taking action on plastic pollution – together we can #ditchplastic and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.