Apr 5 - LA City Moves Bag Ban Forward
Yesterday evening the LA City Energy and Environment Committee unanimously approved a policy statement calling for a citywide bag ban.
Several hours of testimony revealed some interesting facts about the true impacts of a plastic bag ban.
Firstly, LA County's bag ban, implemented last year, has resulted in a 94% overall single-use bag reduction, including a 24% reduction in paper bag usage.
Secondly, the ban won't be a job killer. Only 5% of the production line for County plastic bag manufacturers would be impacted by the ordinance. A local reusable bag company testified in support of the ban, which would encourage green jobs.
Other supporters for the proposal ranged from environmentalists and neighborhood councils to the LA City Chamber of Commerce and the California Grocers Association.
The Commission's statement heads to the full City Council as early as next week. It proposed the drafting and environmental review of a bag ban that involves six months of outreach followed by six months of a plastic bag ban and mandatory 10 cent paper bag charge. After the initial six month period, paper bags would be phased out as well.
Take action on the LA City bag ban and others.
If passed, LA City's bag ban would be the largest, by population, in the entire country. It would increase the amount of Californians living in a jurisdiction with a bag ban to 26%!