Los Angeles becomes largest city to adopt ban on plastic bags

[ellisonz]

Source: LA Times

May 23, 2012 | 12:53 pm

Los Angeles became the largest city in the nation Wednesday to approve a ban on plastic bags at supermarket checkout lines, handing a major victory to clean-water advocates who sought to reduce the amount of trash clogging landfills, the region’s waterways and the ocean.

Egged on by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus and an array of environmental groups, the City Council voted 13 to 1 to phase out plastic bags over the next 12 months at an estimated 7,500 stores. Councilman Bernard Parks cast the lone no vote.

"Let’s get the message to Sacramento that it’s time to go statewide," said Councilman Ed Reyes, who has focused on efforts to revitalize the Los Angeles River.

Council members quietly backed away from a more controversial plan to also ban use of paper grocery bags, which was first proposed by appointees of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.



Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/los-angeles-plastic-bag-ban-approved.html

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[polichick]

1. Another reason to love LA!! k&r

[goclark]

18. Love LA too ~ we just take

our old plastic bags to the store --- just keep on using them.

And we put some of the sturdy bags in the car in casse we are getting bigger products -- it works for LA.

[tawadi]

2. Hope this trend continues across the country

Across the globe, for that matter.

[Magoo48]

3. Great job LA...

[RZM]

4. Always hated plastic bags, especially for small purchases

'I don't need a bag' has to be up there in my list of most frequently uttered sentences in public.

[may3rd]

5. paper mills should see orders increase

[bbinacan]

7. Bet money on it. n/t

[CreekDog]

8. paper bags are usually sourced mostly from recycled paper

and hopefully less of this:

[BadgerKid]

9. Or plastic handbags made of recycled plastic.

Some grocery chains sell them for $1.00-1.50 or so. The handbags are surprisingly durable.

[Recursion]

19. Non-recycled paper is almost entirely made from trees planted to be harvested

And (if made right) they break down after use. I don't see anything wrong with that.

[kestrel91316]

6. It took forever, but we finally did it!!

[CreekDog]

11. Ridiculous. If you knew what you were talking about you couldn't say this honestly.

And the vote was 12-1 and LA is not just rich white people, or didn't you know that?

[left coaster]

13. Great news! We've been rocking the bag ban out in unicorporated L.A. county, since July 2011..

I'd like to see this ban go statewide, and beyond!

[provis99]

15. LA is run by rich white people.

you think the rabble of LA counts? Laughable.

[DBoon]

20. Oh Really?

I thought it was run by illegal aliens, welfare bums, and homosexuals.

[wordpix]

21. there are jobs in making canvas or recycled plastic bags, right?

Don't be so negative and stop calling people names.

[SkatmanRoth]

12. Now if we could only find a way to ban FAUX NEWZ, we would really be on to something.

[NoPasaran]

14. Bag grabbers can go to hell

From my cold, dead hands!

From my cold, dead hands!

[CreekDog]

17. your bags > the environment

you don't own the planet.

[wordpix]

22. DC has had a bag ban for about a year and there are no longer bags trashing up the city

it's great. Thanks, LA and DC council members