October 1, 2008 - ...of plastic bags contaminating cotton harvests. Plastic shredded in cotton gins mixes in bales that are shipped overseas for clothing manufacturing. The concerns led to the formation of a coalition studying plastic bags and ways to reduce littering and promote recycling. The Retail Alliance opposed legislation that would have allowed localities to ban the use of standard grocery-store plastic bags, but supported a study to find ways to encourage recycling, said Susan Milhoan, the...