Plastic Bag Ban Approved In Sacramento, Begins Jan. 1, 2016

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento City Council approved a ban on single-use plastic bans after a similar ban in California has stalled.

The ordinance will ban stores from distributing single-use plastic bags, while requiring a minimum 10-cent fee on paper bags. The ban would take effect on Jan. 1, 2016.

A similar statewide rule was approved last year by the California legislature. It was supposed to go into effect in July, but business groups gathered enough signatures to put the issue to a statewide vote in November 2016.

An appellate court upheld a plastic bag ban in San Francisco that could serve as legal precedent for bans like the one Sacramento is considering.

The Sacramento City Council has considered the ban since at least 2013. Mayor Kevin Johnson introduced the latest attempt at the measure while he considers running for a third term as mayor, or possibly running for a higher office.