American Chemistry Council - Plastic Bag Regulation

Plastic Bag Regulation

The ACC currently is heavily engaged in fighting governmental restrictions and bans on plastic bags. In July 2008, the Seattle City Council voted to impose an additional 20 cent fee on each plastic bag purchased from stores by shoppers as a convenience for transportation of goods. This effort was suspended until a referendum could be held in 2009, allowing voters a chance to weigh in on the issue of whether they should continue to be encouraged to support industry by purchasing plastic bags without considering disposal costs. During the period leading up to the referendum vote the American Chemistry Council stepped into this local affair, ultimately spending some $1.4 million on their successful effort to thwart the proposed system of fully accounting for the cost of plastic bags. Since this victory it has been impossible to ascertain if the ACC has insisted that plastic bag manufacturers cease charging for plastic bags sold to Seattle businesses. Thus it is not possible to determine if the ACC's implied campaign promise of "free plastic bags for shoppers" as a reward for voting down the referendum was valid. In 2010 the ACC was quoted by the New York Times in opposition to a California bill to outlaw plastic bags, claiming that new law "amounts to a $1 billion tax added to grocery bills."