"Plastic pollution is seeping into our waterways, poisoning our environment, and blighting our landscapes. Enough is enough," BontaAccording to Bonta's office, worldwide plastic production has skyrocketed to 300 million tons annually, up from 1.5 million tons in 1950. Much of the plastic ends up in waterways, with tens of millions of tons of plastics entering the oceans every year.
Along with polluting waterways, Bonta said microplastics are also becoming an issue, being found in drinking water, food and in the air. According to, the plastic particles, which are 5 millimeters and smaller, come from multiple sources, including from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller and smaller pieces.
Bonta claimed that in response to proposals in the 1980s restricting or banning plastic products, the industry began what he described as"an aggressive - and deceptive - marketing and advertising campaign" convincing the public that they could recycle their way out of the problem.