Business groups trying to overturn a new California law that bans single-use plastic bags said Monday that they've collected more than enough signatures to put their referendum on the November 2016 ballot.

 

If the referendum qualifies, the nation's first statewide ban on single-use plastic bags will be suspended until voters weigh in, effectively buying plastic bag manufacturers more time.

 

The plastic bag manufacturing trade group American Progressive Bag Alliance said it was turning in more than 800,000 petition signatures to county registrars by Monday's deadline to qualify the referendum. The group needs about 505,000 valid signatures to qualify, and it will be weeks before counties make that determination through random sampling.

 

The ban was scheduled to be phased in starting in July at large grocery stores and supermarkets as a way to cut down on litter and protect marine life.

 

In September, Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB270 by state Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles, to pull plastic bags out of checkout counters at large grocery stores and supermarkets such as Wal-Mart and Target starting next summer, and convenience stores and pharmacies in 2016.

 

The law does not apply to bags used for fruits, vegetables or meats, or to shopping bags used at other retailers. It allows grocers to charge a fee of at least 10 cents for using paper bags.

 

The law had marked a major milestone for environmental activists who have successfully pushed plastic bag bans in cities across the U.S., including Chicago, Austin, Texas, and Seattle. Hawaii is also on track to have a de facto statewide ban, with all counties approving prohibitions.

 

More than 100 cities and counties, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, already have such bans in California.