California Implements Statewide Plastic Bag Recycling Program

Californians Against Waste

 California Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 2449 (sponsored by Levine) on September 30, 2006 to implement a statewide plastic bag recycling program.

From the Governor’s Signing Message:
“While this bill may not go as far as some local environmental groups and cities may have hoped, this program will make progress to reduce plastics in our environment. This measure requires every retail establishment that provides its customers plastic bags to have an in store plastic bag recycling program, a public awareness program promoting bag recycling, post recycling requirements, record keeping and penalties.”

Link: Californians Against Waste

Plastic Bag Spotted in Space

New York Times

With extra inspections showing no problems, NASA managers today cleared the space shuttle Atlantis for a Thursday landing after an extra day in space because of concerns about unexpected debris floating from the ship. NASA delayed a landing set for Wednesday and kept Atlantis in orbit an extra day while engineers tried to determine if a mystery object seen floating nearby indicated possible damage to the spacecraft. The shuttle program director, N. Wayne Hale Jr., said the mystery object unexpectedly seen by shuttle cameras was likely a plastic shim used to separate thermal tiles on the bottom of the orbiter.

Late Tuesday, one of the astronauts aboard Atlantis spotted a second object floating by a window and photographed it. Mr. Hale said the second object appeared to be a plastic bag mistakenly left in the cargo bay before launch. And today, astronauts spotted three other small bits of debris that looked like a piece of foil and plastic rings. Mr. Hale said that such so-called foreign object debris is not uncommon, but that NASA works to eliminate it.

Link: Plastic Bag Spotted in Space. 

Plastic industry sees double-digit growth in 2006

The Edge Daily

The plastics industry can expect a double-digit growth in sales this year if local plastic bag exporters are cleared of the European Union (EU) dumping charges, said Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) vice-president Charles Seow Thong Seng.

Link: Plastics industry sees double-digit growth in 2006.