UPDATE: Just in, the ban has been approved! The ban was passed by a 13-1 vote and will go into effect later this year.
“Paper or plastic?” may soon be a thing of the past in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles City Council is set to vote Wednesday on whether or not it should ban single-use plastic bags. The ban has been long sought out by environmentalists who say the bags are wasteful and pollute not only the city, but the ocean as well.
According to the LA Times, the proposal heading to the council would:
• Give large retailers a six-month phase-out period before banning plastic single-use bags;
• Give small retailers a 12-month phase-out period before banning plastic single-use bags;
• Require all retailers to charge 10 cents per paper bag beginning one year after enactment of the program and thereafter.
If the ordinance passes, Los Angeles will become the largest city in the United States to ban plastic bags. If it passes, it is likely that banning paper bags would be the next step. Paper bags require the deforestation of trees and are just as wasteful.
Those opposing the ban say it will lead to loss of jobs for people who work in the factories that create the bags.
There is far more important steps to save the enviroment than just ban plastic bags. To make a note of it they should give all citizens cheap tote bags for use then they go shopping.