LOS ANGELES, July 23, 2008
Paper Or Paper? L.A. Bans Plastic Bags
Los Angeles Uses More Than 2 Billion Bags A Year; Ban Aims To Reduce Litter
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(AP/CBS/iStockphoto)
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The City Council voted Tuesday to ban plastic shopping bags from stores, beginning July 1, 2010. Shoppers can either bring their own bags or pay 25 cents for a paper or biodegradable bag.
The council's unanimous vote also puts pressure on the state, which is considering an Assembly bill that would impose bag recycling requirements on stores. City officials said their ban would not be implemented if the state passes the bill and requires at least a 25-cent charge per bag.
"We've gotten to a point where we need to act as a city, where we can have real results," said Councilman Ed Reyes, who proposed the bag ban. "We're trying to do it in a way where we can educate and inform the public of what we're doing."
Reyes said the ban will minimize cleanup costs for the city and reduce trash that collects in storm drains and the Los Angeles River. The city estimates more than 2 billion plastic bags are used each year in Los Angeles. About 5 percent of plastic bags and 21 percent of paper bags are recycled in California.
Banning plastic bags will not solve the litter problem, said an attorney who opposes the regulation of plastic bags.
"We've had enough of politicians accepting the misinformation that's spread around the Internet about plastic bags," said Stephen Joseph of the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition, which represents bag manufacturers.
Joseph said the city motion gives "a free pass" to paper bags, which he argued are biodegradable but consume more materials and natural resources to make.
Three percent of the bag fee will be returned to the retailer, 3 percent will go to the state, and the rest will go back to the city to fund an education campaign.
Last year, San Francisco passed the nation's first bag ban, which took effect in November.
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Posted by azure11
I gotta see a picture of that. and there''s 10 starbucks on it.
IF YOU DIDN''T DRIVE LIKE A MANIAC, YOU WOULDN''T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
Most places don''t have the baggers any more. Either the cashiers do it and they are too busy trying to keep you the customer happy, ring out your purchaces and watch the shoplifters behind you.
or you have to bag your own. DEAL WITH IT
Bio-Degradable leave it to LA to charge a fee for nothing
[Posted by loneeagle57 at 02:56 PM : Jul 23, 2008]
if they became a scourge like the plastic bag has ... then there should be incentive in place to reduce their use, promote their re-use ... or for those that really don''t care and are only concerned for themselves ... they can pay for that attitude. aluminum cans and tires already have disposal surcharges on them ... maybe they need to be higher.
[Taxing people to use these products are not the answer, People are having trouble paying for their groceries now with out being forced to pay for ways to carry these purchases out of the store.]
they''re not being ''forced'' to do anything. the tax (fee for use of the bag) is meant to promote an alternate behavior. they have options ... ones that are more appropriate than ''whats good for me'' ... and ones that are not hard to adopt.
[I may not have a real solution however There are BETTER WAYS. That much I am sure. ]
no solutions to offer ... but you''re sure there are better ways? are you leaving that for others to come up with? who might those ''others'' be?
la''s approach is an appropriate response to a huge problem ... a problem that should be dealt with by leadership at the national level ... of which there is little to speak of of late.
Posted by gangesdak at 03:04 PM : Jul 23, 2008
They already have that. It''s called Ramons Soup,,No?
I haven''t used a new plastic bag in a month. I keep a supply in my trunk for when I go shopping, and then just reuse them until they wear out. THEN I recycle them and grab a new one to replace it.
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or just make them out of fruit roll ups
Due to the process of recycling plastic bags are weaker now then once were even 5 years ago. Because of this fault one can''t hold much in them. However, Plastic bags were used to help cut down on paper waste which in turn was saving trees. Many reuse these plastic bags to hold garbage, clothes toys, ect for short periods of time.
I don''t see many of these bags littering streets. however I do see other garbage, including Aluminum Cans, food wrappers, Rubber tires, Styrofoam containers and the like. I suppose Bob, that you would also ban these products as well.
Taxing people to use these products are not the answer, People are having trouble paying for their groceries now with out being forced to pay for ways to carry these purchases out of the store.
I may not have a real solution however There are BETTER WAYS. That much I am sure.
California is terrible with their laws. HOW many products that you have on your house say not to be sold in Ca.? This is ridiculous
[Posted by loneeagle57 at 01:24 PM : Jul 23, 2008]
the ******* idea was to produce 380 billion plastic bags a year in the us and throw them all in the garbage five minutes after you ''dont'' fill them up w/ only three items per bag ... all with not a single thought of the selfishness and adverse impact those actions have.
la is forwarding a progressive idea to deal w/ the issue ... since nobody else is willing ... an idea to mitigate the scourge of the plastic bag.
what''s your plan ... the market will take care of it?
Posted by fstop100
Before you make such comments, stay sitting down in front of your computer and figure out how much plastic you used to get the comment on line.
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