Plastic Bags Banned in Parts of Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, a measure was passed that bans plastic grocery bags from use in some parts of Los Angeles.

County supervisors approved the measure 3-1 on Tuesday in hopes of preventing billions of bags from polluting neighborhoods and waterways. It bans stores from giving customers single-use plastic bags and would require them to charge 10 cents for each paper bag.


An exception exists for small bags used to keep fruit, vegetables or raw meat separate from other products.
The county says 25 percent of the litter it picks up is plastic bags.
The ordinance, which goes into effect starting in July, would apply to unincorporated parts of the county where an estimated 1.1 million people live. It does not include the 88 cities within the county, including Los Angeles. -msnbc.com

I believe this is a smart move. It's more environmentally friendly, since an entire quarter of litter, as mentioned, is plastic bags. It will also increase the use of reusable and recyclable paper bags. They will cost 10 cents, but most supermarkets give you discounts around a dollar anyway, so it's not intrusive on your budget, and having any kind of cost on the bag will encourage people to bring their own, further increasing environmental sustainability. I was disappointed to learn that this was only in parts of Los Angeles. Maybe the trend will spread to the city, and hopefully to different parts of the state, and the country.