Council moving towards ban on plastic bags

Final approval is expected next week, but today's 13-1 vote pretty much assures that L.A. will be the nation's largest city to prohibit stores from using plastic bags. The ban will affect pharmacies, food markets, and big-box stores that have a grocery section. Large retailers will have six months and smaller retailers a year. Paper is still allowed, but at a price of 10 cents per bag. Long Beach, Calabasas, Santa Monica, and Pasadena are among the cities that have imposed similar bans. From the LAT:

Opponents of the ban referred to the paper bag fee as an unfair tax. And they argued that it will hurt business in the region, particularly the plastic-bag makers that operate in the southeast section of Los Angeles County. Cathy Browne, general manager at Huntington Park-based bag maker Crown Poly, said an unspecified number of employees will lose their jobs if the law passes. More than 50% of the plant's business is in plastic grocery bags used in Los Angeles and other localities, she said.