Illinois governor vetoes plastic bag recycling act

recently, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn vetoed a proposal for a plastic bag recycling act.

Quinn vetoed the bill on August 26. The bill is supported by some plastic bag recycling companies. Quinn said in a statement:' Although the starting point is good, the bill will hinder innovation and will not help promote the regeneration movement in Illinois. We should take a better approach. We cannot constrain the hands of Illinois's major cities committed to innovation. They are the laboratories of Illinois's reform. '

If the bill is passed, all communities in Illinois except Chicago will not be able to ban disposable plastic bags.

before the bill attracted nationwide attention, environmentalists protested one after another, even though the purpose of the bill was to strengthen the regeneration of plastic bags and other plastic films.

The veto was a victory for 13-year-old Abby Goldberg from Grayslake, Illinois, USA, who had launched a petition against the bill. Goldberg hopes her community can ban plastic bags. In July, she submitted a petition signed by more than 150 thousand people in her private name, urging the government to veto the bill.

On August 26, Goldberg issued a statement to her followers on Twitter saying that the battle was not over yet.

when she replied to the supporters who congratulated her on her victory, she said:' Thank you, now it's time for us to roll up our sleeves and do another big job! 'She wrote:'To urge [Illinois]Legislators cannot overturn this veto! ! ! ! ! ! '

The government's veto is undoubtedly a loss to the plastic industry that supports the bill. David Asselin, executive director of the American plastic bag Reform Alliance, said in a recent letter to the Illinois Chronicle in Springfield, Illinois, that the bill' It is good for our environment and for Illinois's economic development'.

Asselin wrote in the letter:' Moreover, we are optimistic that it is still possible to find an intermediate position and make certain concessions in legislation, and this is indeed effective. As long as entrepreneurs and governments join hands, all relevant parties can benefit through policies. This is the right way to make policies. '

If the bill was passed, the plastic bag manufacturer would be forced to pay a registration fee of 500 US dollars to register in the state, and a detailed plastic bag recycling plan would be required. According to the bill, by 2014, at least 75% of the state's population will live in a plastic bag recycling collection area within 10 miles. This proportion will be raised to 80% by 2015.

In addition, if the bill is passed, the proportion of recycled plastic bags will be increased to 2014 by 2015 and 12%. If the plastic bag regeneration growth target is not met, the manufacturer must submit a report detailing the reasons.