Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 24 Summary

• Requests a report and suggestions for improvement on the at-store recycling program established in December 2009 from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC).

• Program is scheduled to sunset on December 2, 2014, and requires stores to maintain records describing collection and recycling of plastic carryout bags.

• Notes that 84-105 billion plastic bags are used annually in America with only approximately 3% reused or recycled, requiring 12 million barrels of oil to produce.

• Cites environmental concerns including disposal costs of 17 cents per bag and toxins released into soil and waterways as plastic bags photodegrade.

• Requires DNREC to present the report and improvement suggestions to the General Assembly on the second Tuesday of January 2012.