Plastic Bag Ban Takes Effect For LA Shoppers
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Angelenos have said goodbye to 2013 - and to plastic bags.
KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero reports starting Wednesday, the city of Los Angeles became the largest U.S. city to ban single-use plastic bags at major grocery stores.
Shoppers now have to choose between bringing their own reusable bags or buying paper bags that cost 10 cents apiece.
Similar laws are already on the books in other Southland cities, including Glendale, Pasadena and Santa Monica.
City Councilman Paul Koretz, who authored the measure, said the law will go a long way towards ensuring a brighter environmental future for the city.
"We use up over 2 billion plastic bags a year in L.A. alone," Koretz said. "It's such a great source of litter, it causes a lot of harm to our rivers and our oceans."
Smaller "mom-and-pop" type stores will have until July 1 to comply with the new law.