The Last Straw

California takes aim at polyester, bottle caps, and drinking straws….

California didn’t stop with its first-in-the-country single-use plastic bag ban, and state legislators are now turning their attention to other sources of plastic pollution that are finding its way into the oceans and drinking water supply.

You’re already promoting reusable or recycled materials when talking to your clients—and this is a sales opportunity that’s not hard to get behind when you look at the numbers:

- According to the World Economic Forum, there could be more plastic by weight than fish in the world's oceans by 2050.

- A survey from orb media comparing 150 tap water samples from five continents found synthetic microfibers in almost every sample—and a whopping 94 percent of samples tested from the United States tested positive for synthetic microfibers.

- The Great Pacific Ocean Garbage patch, which is mostly plastic, now has nearly Two Trillion pieces of trash.

The last straw for me, literally, came with this video of biologists removing one from a sea turtle’s nose. That’s when I made a personal vow: No more using single-use plastic straws. Ever.

As the White House pulls back on environmental issues, California’s leaders have chosen to move forward on their own. In 2014, the state was the first to stop single-use plastic bags, with the District of Columbia and a de-facto ban in Hawaii closely following. Seventy-three bills have been introduced in state legislatures in the last year, though most are either for a plastic bag fee or improved recycling. California law can have wide-ranging effect. When a state law barred exfoliating beauty products with plastic microbeads, the industry impact was so large the ban was adopted nationwide last year.

"What we do has not just national, but international implications. We're the fifth-largest economy in the world," said California Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon. Calderon introduced a bill this year barring restaurants from providing plastic straws unless a customer requests one. "You better believe that if we do something and it works here, everyone's going to adopt it."

Also on the California docket this month, a law that would prohibit the sale of single-use plastic bottles with caps that do not remain tethered to the container after opening, as well as one that requires all new clothing made with more than 50% synthetic material to have a label that warns of microfiber shedding during washing.

Of course, not everyone is on the bandwagon with this plastic pollution prevention idea. Three bills currently on the California Assembly floor have drawn intense push back from conservatives, gubernatorial candidate Travis Allen, and a coalition of manufacturers and industry groups. They have been vocal in their opposition, perhaps none more so than Allen, who posted on Twitter: "California Democrat Leader Ian Calderon wants to ban PLASTIC STRAWS. Is there any part of your life that Democrats don't want to control? As Governor, this is exactly the type of legislation that I will VETO."

The concerns from the Plastics Industry Association, California Chamber of Commerce, and International Bottled Water Association have been more muted. They have gone quiet on the straws bill, recognizing that giving restaurant customers the choice to still request a straw was a reasonable compromise. The opposition is now focused on the limited existing research on microfiber pollution and the approach of the bottle cap bill. "We understand the desire to reduce plastic waste, but feel that this will not solve the problem," they said in a joint statement on the connect-the-cap bill. "A more effective approach would be to educate consumers about recycling lids with the bottles."

You don’t have to wait for your legislature to ban plastics to educate your clients on the benefits of these eco-friendly measures as it relates to promotional products. The result could end up being better for the environment, better for your clients, and better for your bottom line.