Don't Feed the Plastic Bag Monsters

Plastic Bag Facts

• Plastic bags do not biodegrade, they photodegrade, which means they slowly break down into smaller and smaller bits that can contaminate soil and waterways. This process can take 1000+ years. As the polyethylene breaks down, toxic substances leach into the soil and enter the food chain. (Sierra Club)
It takes 1.6 billion gallons of petroleum to make the 380 billion bags that Americans use each year
• Of more than ten million pieces of garbage picked up on ocean beaches in 2009 during International Coastal Cleanup Day, 1,126,774 were plastic bags
• It has been suggested that, to marine animals, such as sea turtles, debris, such as plastic bags, look similar to, and are mistaken for jellyfish.  These animals suffer a painful death, the plastic wraps around their intestines or they choke to death.
• At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris including seabirds, turtles, seals, sea lions, whales and fish.

http://www.bagmonster.com/

In Massachusetts, there is a plastic bag ban on the table:
Plastic Bag Ban (S)
Formal Title: An Act Relative To Decreasing Environmental Hazards, Toxins, and Litter
Sponsors: Rep. Matt Patrick
Contact: Margaret.Konner@state.ma.us
An Act to Restore the Clean Environment Fund: This bill will reestablish a separate fund into which the proceeds from all unredeemed bottle bill deposits collected are deposited. The deposits shall be used solely for programs and projects to manage solid waste and protect the environment.

An Act Prohibiting the Use of Plastic Carryout Bags in Certain Stores: The widespread use of plastic bags has serious consequences for the environment, such as littering our coastlines, using up billions of gallons of petroleum a year, leaching toxic chemicals into our soil and water, and killing millions of animals each year. This bill will reduce the number of plastic bags used in Massachusetts each year by prohibiting the use of plastic carryout bags in many stores, requiring them to use reusable cloth bags and/or paper bags. This legislation would exempt small stores, defined as those with less than $500K in annual sales. It also exempts bags such as those found in fruit and vegetable aisles and in applications where small loose hardware is sold.

There is also these acts filed by State Senator Jamie Eldridge (click for the link):

An Act to increase recycling by landlords and tenants

This bill will encourage recycling in multi-family units by requiring the owner of any apartment building with three or more units OR any condominium association consisting of three or more units to provide the means and materials necessary to allow tenants or owners in those units to recycle paper, glass containers, compost and certain common plastics as determined by the municipal recycling program.

An Act relative to plastic bag reduction

This bill will reduce the number of plastic bags used in Massachusetts each year by directing certain retailers (large stores) to cease providing non-compostable plastic checkout bags to their customers. If a retailer still chooses to provide plastic check out bags to their customers, they must conform to the ASTM standard for compostable plastic.