Tethered for good: How senate bill 45 aims to rein in plastic waste
SB 45: California's cap on plastic pollution
As summer approaches, people will head to beaches, team practices and games will be held in mid-day heat, and friends and family will gather for 4th of July BBQ celebrations. At each event, a cool refreshing beverage is sure to be consumed, but the passage of Senate Bill No. 45 might introduce an inconvenient but important design change to Californian's thirst quenching enjoyment.
Senate Bill No. 45 will tether plastic caps to most beverage containers. The bill mandates the tethering of plastic bottle caps to beverage containers. Beginning on January 1st 2027, this measure will work to prevent the separation of plastic bottle caps from their containers, which often leads to plastic littering.
In fact, according to the Plastics Today , the Surfrider Foundation collected over 30,000 bottle caps during their coastal clean ups last year alone. The bill would require all single-use bottles containing under 2 liters to tether their caps with the exception of 100% fruit juice and alcohol containers. Many big name companies are already on board, with Crystal Geyser, Coca-Cola (Smartwater), PepsiCo (Gatorade) already leashing their caps without a law.
According to Packaging Dive, this isn't the first time the plastic shackle has been suggested. A similar bill was proposed in 2018. However, it failed to allow for enough time for manufacturers to make the adjustment. Senate Bill No. 45 is offering a longer runway, and this has gained the bill the support of the Association of Plastic Recyclers, the Product Stewardship Institute, and recycling companies such as Recology, Republic Services and Waste Connections.
Small cap, big consequences
According to Shop Without Plastic (SWOP) , the US generates the 'largest amount of plastic waste in the world,' responsible for a shocking 42 million tons of plastic waste in a single year. To put this in perspective, this figure is as much as India and China combined. According to PHYS.org , plastic 'bottle caps are one of the most common items consumed by marine animals .' Commonly, caps are made with different types of plastic than bottles themselves, and the buoyancy of this dissimilar plastic makes bott le caps dangerously attractive to marine life who mistake them as a food source. As animals ingest plastic pollution, bodily functions can be interrupted leading to death, this occurs so often that the Ocean Conservancy identified 'plastic bottle caps as one of the top five deadliest forms of marine pollution.' Additionally, many fish species can store microplastics in their fat that bioaccumulate all the way to human consumption. In the long run, both marine animals and humans will be swallowing delicious plastic waste for dinner.
Europe tried it first — and it's working
Tethering is nothing new in Europe. According to The Conversation , in July 2024, a European Union directive mandated plastic bottle cap tethering on single use bottles. This initiative follows in the footsteps of the 1980's packaging change to cans with detachable pull tabs. Both of these initiatives have reduced the deadly impact of single use container littering. Before, citizens had to try not to litter, now people have to try to litter these mico-plastics.
Cap-tivated and frustrated
While placing tabs on plastic caps has much support, there is one demographic that has been deeply affected: beverage consumers. According to Packaging Europe , many consumers have lamented the change on TikTok, encumbered by water spills from drinking around an uncomfortable plastic. Many share that the cap gets in the way of their hydration and causes frustration when used. According to Earth Day 365 , this inconvenience might just be proof that the ban will be effective as any attempts at zero-waste require consumers to ' allow themselves to be inconvenienced .'
Tethered today, cleaner tomorrow
Whether it's a minor inconvenience or a necessary nudge toward sustainability, Senate Bill No. 45 asks Californians to rethink convenience in favor of long-term environmental responsibility. As the summer heats up, I hope to be a bit inconvenienced for an eco-win. Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
9 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
ICE to convert shuttered California prison into state's largest migrant detention center
A sprawling 2,560-bed facility in the high desert town of California City (Kern County) is poised to become the largest migrant detention center in California under a new agreement between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and private prison contractor CoreCivic. Ryan Gustin, the company's senior director of public affairs, told the Chronicle on Friday that CoreCivic has 'begun some preliminary activation activities, pursuant to a letter agreement with our government partners at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.' According to the Los Angeles Times, the federal government entered into a six-month contract with CoreCivic, with $10 million in 'initial funding.' The facility operated as a state prison until March 2024, when California ended its lease as part of an initiative to eliminate the use of private prisons. The move comes amid a national push by the Trump administration to expand ICE detention capacity from 41,500 to 100,000 beds nationwide. Citing a 'compelling urgency,' ICE has bypassed standard competitive bidding procedures, opting instead for expedited, no-bid contracts with major private contractors such as CoreCivic, the Associated Press reported. 'Never in our 42-year company history have we had so much activity and demand for our services as we are seeing right now,' CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger said during an earnings call with shareholders last month, citing the company's general business. A recent report from the California Department of Justice listed six active federal immigration processing centers in the state, all run by private companies. Two of the facilities are in Kern County and run by GEO Group, a CoreCivic competitor. They include the Mesa Verde center in Bakersfield and the Golden State annex in McFarland. GEO Group also operates two additional centers in Adelanto, a desert city in San Bernardino County. As of late May, California held nearly 3,200 migrants in detention, ranking third nationally, behind Texas and Louisiana. The addition of the California City facility is expected to increase the state's detention capacity by 36%. California City Mayor Marquette Hawkins acknowledged potential economic benefits, including an estimated 550 new jobs. 'However, we understand that 40% of our residents are Latino,' Hawkins told the Californian. 'We want to make sure there is fairness there. We talked about oversight and my office having the ability to do that.' Originally built by CoreCivic (then known as Corrections Corporation of America) in 1999 for $100 million, the facility first housed federal inmates. It was later leased to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which operated it as a men's prison for nearly a decade until late 2023. Although the lease officially extended through March 2024, state inmates were relocated earlier. A new sign now identifies the site as the 'California City Immigration Processing Center.' According to Tehachapi News, about 50 vehicles were observed in the parking lot Wednesday afternoon. As of Friday morning, CoreCivic's website listed several job openings at the California City site, including a managerial role with a salary of $81,265 and 13 health care positions. Critics continue to raise alarm over the increasing role of private corporations in immigration enforcement. Advocacy groups, including Californians United for a Responsible Budget — a coalition of more than 100 organizations supporting prison closures — urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to take steps in the 2025-26 state budget to prevent shuttered state prisons from being repurposed for ICE detention. The coalition called on Newsom to fully decommission all 'warm shutdown' facilities — prisons that, while inactive, remain staffed and maintained — arguing they continue to drain state resources and remain vulnerable to federal takeover.
Tom's Guide
13 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
The Home Depot's 4th of July deals are here — 9 bargains I'd buy now
The first 4th of July deals of the season are starting to trickle in. Whether you're shopping for a new barbecue grill or hoping to replace some dated furniture, The Home Depot just launched a massive promo with epic home deals sitewide. Right now, The Home Depot is knocking up to 55% off cookware, artificial plants, wallpaper/tiles, and bedroom furniture. Also included in the sale are mattresses, TV stands, living room rugs, and more. It's one of the biggest deals I've seen from The Home Depot on home decor/furniture. Make sure to snap up these deals before they're gone! To keep the savings going, stay tuned to our Home Depot promo codes page. Furniture sale: up to 35% off @ The Home DepotThe Home Depot is currently hosting a huge savings event on home decor, furniture, bedding, kitchenware and more. Save big on everything you need to refresh your home. Patio furniture: deals from $19 @ The Home DepotA clean and simple dining set will instantly upgrade any patio. The Home Depot has various sets, chairs, and tables on sale from as low as $19. It's the perfect time to replace any outdate furniture. Luggage: up to 50% off @ The Home DepotScore up to 50% off luggage at The Home Depot. Backpacks, suitcases and handbags are on sale as low as $39 after discount. The sale even includes this 21-inch Darth Vader embossed suitcase for $66 ($155 off.) Lawnmower sale: deals from $199 @ The Home DepotThe Home Depot has deals on push, reel, self-propelled and ride-on mowers starting from $199. The sale includes deals on RYOBI, Green Machine and more. Artificial plants: deals from $12 @ The Home DepotGive your home a fresh, summery look with some artificial plants. The Home Depot has various pots, artificial grass walls, and more on sale from just $12. Best of all — they don't require regular maintenance like real plants do. Tools sale: up to 35% off @ The Home DepotYou can never have enough tools, and if there's anything missing from your collection, Home Depot is taking up to 35% off tools right now. The sale includes brands like Dewalt. Storage solutions: up to 30% off @ The Home DepotHoping to get your spaces organized? Don't worry — The Home Depot has the perfect storage solutions just for you. Whether it's your closet, garage or basement that needs tidying, there's plenty of shelving, rack and bin options for less at The Home Depot. Cookware sale: deals from $18 @ The Home DepotAdd to your cookware collection with amazing deals from Home Depot. Whether you're looking to upgrade your pots and pans or you need some new utensils, Home Depot has everything you need with massive savings up to 30% off. Mattress sale: deals from $99 @ The Home DepotThe Home Depot has mattresses on sale from as low as $99. This is the perfect time to upgrade, or get a second mattress for a guest bedroom. The sale includes brands like Sealy, Zinus and Serta.
Tom's Guide
17 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Epic Walmart weekend sale live from $9 — shop deals on TVs, patio furniture and 4th of July essentials
Summer is finally here — and if you're looking to indulge in some shopping in celebration of sunny season, Walmart's shelves are fully stocked with deals. In fact, the retailer is currently hosting an epic summer sale on everything from TVs and headphones to grills and patio furniture. This weekend, you don't want to miss Walmart's Patio and Garden Event with up to 50% off outdoor essentials. Need a new grill for summer? You can snag one for under $100 at Walmart. And if you're already gearing up for 4th of July celebrations, there's plenty of festive items to shop from $9. The discounts certainly don't end there! Below, I've gathered all my favorite Walmart deals to shop this weekend. For more ways to save, check out our Walmart promo codes. 4th of July sale: deals from $9 @ Walmart Independence Day is just two weeks away — and of you're gearing up for celebration or barbecues to celebrate the holiday, Walmart has plenty of festive deals to help prepare you. From decor and fashion to coolers and grilling essentials, shop Walmart's 4th of July shop for everything you need. Patio and garden event: up to 50% off @ WalmartWalmart has launched a major savings event to help you refresh your garden. If you're looking to upgrade your garden, deck or patio for less, consider Walmart's outdoor living section your one-stop shop. The retail giant is currently offering unbeatable discounts of up to 50% on stylish and functional outdoor items, including string lights, fire pits, lounge chairs, garden beds and more. Grill sale: deals under $100 @ WalmartFrom Weber to Blackstone (and many notable brands in between), Walmart is having a huge grill sale with many deals under $100 mark. With barbecue season officially here, Walmart has tons of grill options to choose from — without breaking the bank! Shark and Ninja appliances: up to 40% off @ WalmartWalmart is offering up to 40% off select Shark and Ninja appliances. The sale includes air fryers, robot vacs, blow dryers, blenders and more. Prices start as low as $49 for Shark devices or $29 for Ninja appliances. Smart TVs: deals from $88 @ WalmartWalmart has a massive sale on smart TVs. The sale includes TVs from brands like TCL, Hisense, JVC, and Walmart's own Onn brand. After discount, prices start as low as $88. Keep in mind that there are a few 1080p sets included in the sale. I recommend sticking with 4K resolution as the price difference isn't all that great. Light up your outdoor space at night with this set of string lights that are 100 feet long and include 50 bulbs. You'll want to spend all night under the stars with these lights that emit a soft white glow and will make a stylish statement hanging in your backyard or over your patio. This umbrella is the perfect addition to your backyard or patio. It provides optimal shade while adding some elegant style. The umbrella surface is UV-proof, waterproof and fade resistant so you can use it on both sunny and rainy days. Walmart is taking $140 off this folding Adirondack Chair, a durable piece of patio furniture that doesn't come cheap. But for just $99, this foldable, weather-proof design (it's constructed from high-density polyethylene lumber) is a steal. Reviewers rave these are easy to put together and are built to last for many summers to come. One buyer even notes it's "a very solid chair for the money!" This small outdoor conversation set is available for $130 off the regular price. Made of woven rattan, high-quality steel frames, and tempered glass table top, this adorable set will be the perfect spot to relax or enjoy a cocktail outdoors this spring. It also comes with seat cushions featuring an ergonomic design for extra comfort. Level up your outdoor events with an all-in-one cooler cart! Perfect for entertaining, its huge capacity can hold up to 50 bottles, 70 cans or all your favorite food and snacks. It also has four sturdy wheels that allow you to easily move the cooler or even take it on the go. Kick back in style and comfort with this outdoor wicker set that will match any theme or decor. Perfect for cozy spring nights by the fire pit, this set of rocking chairs feature a comfortable high-back design and plush cushions. The set also comes with a 2-tier coffee table. It will make a lovely addition to your porch or patio. I've got to recommend a TV when it's under $100, especially when it's 32-inch and comes from Walmart's very own Onn. range. It's a sturdy set with Roku Smart TV running the show., meaning you'll get access to a lot of streaming. So, if you're looking for a simple TV that'll let you watch your movies and shows in HD-quality, this one's at the breathtakingly cheap price of $88. If you want a new TV but don't want to overspend, the Hisense U8N Mini-LED TV offers an unbelievable price-to-performance ratio. In addition to its Mini-LED panel, it also offers beautiful contrast and colors as well as support for a 144Hz refresh rate, VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision Atmos, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. In our Hisense U8N review we said the Editor's Choice TV is one of the best mini-LED TVs you can buy. The C4 is LG's current flagship OLED TV. It's powered by LG's A9 processor and features a 120Hz panel, Dolby Vision/ HDR10/HLG support, built-in Amazon Alexa, four HDMI 2.1 ports and Apple AirPlay 2 support. It's also one of the few OLED TVs that can natively accept a 144Hz input from a PC. In our LG C4 OLED TV review, we said content looked colorful and dazzlingly bright on the new C4 series. It's the best version we've seen of the company's top-selling OLED TV range. What if your TV could hide the fact it was a TV? The Frame by Samsung does just that, disguising itself as a piece of art whenever it's not in use. That's on top of a 4K QLED display, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos support, and all the smart features afforded by Samsung's Tizen OS. This is the cheapest price we've seen for the 55-inch model. The Keurig K-Express is your top choice if you're looking for a low-cost single-serve coffee maker, or a pop of color in your kitchen, as it's available in 6 colorways at Walmart. At just 6.5 inches wide, it's also compact and is ideal for small spaces. You can also brew one cup after another, without waiting for the water to reheat, which sits within the 36oz reserve. If you're after a basic yet versatile air fryer, this is a great deal. With a 4-quart, basket capacity, it's sufficient to cook fit 2 pounds of fries. This comes with convenient functions such as air fry, roast, bake and broil. Plus, at such a low price this is a deal not to be missed! Get rid of the tiniest of unwanted particles and air contaminants with the Shark Clean Sense Air Purifier. Its anti-allergen HEPA filter is designed to tackle everything form smog and toxins to dust and dander, giving you healthier, purified indoor air quality. The Ninja Creami has been making waves (scoops?) in the home cook world. We gave it 4 stars in our Ninja Creami review. We loved how easy it was to make delicious homemade ice cream. There's a huge range of recipe styles available, such as milkshake, froyo, and even gelato! And as if it couldn't get any better — the Creami is also easy to clean. Leave your spring cleaning to your digital assistant. The Shark Matrix Robot Vacuum features precision home mapping, powerful suction that makes it great for households with pets, and hands-free cleaning thanks to its Alexa/Google Assistant support. The Shark FlexStyle Hair Styling System can be used as a powerful, no-heat-damage hair dryer or an ultra-versatile multi-styler letting you curl, volumize, smooth, or dry. It's often compared to the popular Dyson Airwrap, but it's currently less than half the price (and might even be the superior choice performance-wise). We recommend jumping on this deal! A budget friendly option, these wireless headphones offer playback for up to 57 hours, and recharge in as little as 2 hours. They also have JBL Pure Bass sound. Although we haven't tested this model, they receive 4.5 out of 5 stars from Amazon customers for sound quality and value for money. Our JBL Go 4 review determined that this is the perfect portable Bluetooth speaker for those on a budget. Small enough to take traveling, it still packs enough performance to soundtrack small gatherings while bringing useful features like IP67 water and dust protection, and multi-point connectivity. It also comes in a variety of fun colors. Sony's budget on-ear cans are inexpensive, but they bring the sound where it counts. They earned a 4.5-star rating in our Sony WH-CH520 review, thanks to their top-notch sound, intuitive controls, and lengthy battery life of 50 hours. 3 minutes of charge nets you 1.5 hours of use as well, if you run out and need a quick boost. The SRS-XE200 is an IP67 certified Bluetooth speaker that's waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. It offers up to 16 hours of battery life and includes a built-in strap that makes it easy to take on the go. There's also a buit-in mic with echo cancelling technology. This is one the best bang for your buck party speakers on the market right now. Users reported that the speaker has thumping bass that doesn't distort even at loud volumes. This speaker has two 1/4" inputs at the reverse for a mic and a guitar, should you want to soundtrack the party on a more personal level. The XM5 are Sony's premium noise-cancelling headphones and our pick for the best headphones on the market. The large, over-ear cushions are incredibly comfortable and the active noise cancellation is excellent. Plus, despite ANC being a drain on battery life, these amazing headphones still give you up to 30 hours with ANC enabled. You can push that up to 40 hours of battery life with ANC turned off. The AirPods Pro 2 pack Apple's new H2 chip to provide 2x more noice cancellation than their predecessors. They also offer Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for a more immersive audio experience. In our AirPods Pro 2 review, we said they take everything we loved about the original AirPods Pro to the next level. This newer model includes a USB-C charging case. The 2nd-Gen Apple Watch SE sports an S8 processor, Crash Detection capability, and watchOS 9. In our Apple Watch SE review, we called it the best Apple Watch value you'll find. Just note this sold for $149 back on Black Friday. The Apple Watch 10 boasts a thinner and lighter design, faster charging and a new sleep apnea detection feature. Some other new key features include 30% more screen area, rounded corners and a first-ever wide angle OLED display. The device also features advanced health insights, including the ability to take an ECG anytime. It's no longer Apple's flagship, but the MacBook Air M1 offers fantastic performance and value. The M1 CPU never stuttered in our tests and also helped it reach over 14 hours of battery life. It features a 13.3-inch Retina display, Apple M1 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. In our MacBook Air M1 review, we said it offers amazing endurance and very good speed.
