Politics & Government
Local Shoppers are Mixed on Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance
The ban of the distribution of plastic bags at large groceries and pharmacies in unincorporated Los Angeles County goes into effect today. Shoppers at a La Crescenta market affected by the law tell Patch.com what they think of it.
Large groceries and pharmacies are now prohibited from distributing plastic bags, following an ordinance passed by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors in November. The ban will affect all stores in unincorporated areas by January 1, 2012.
Parts of Montrose and La Crescenta are under L.A. County jurisdiction, while other parts fall under the city of Glendale. So, not every store in our area will be affected by the ban, which can potentially confuse shoppers.
Various environmental organizations, including Heal the Bay in Santa Monica, have decried the plastic grocery bag for decades. According to environmentalists, only five percent of plastic bags are recycled each year, and they end up costing California about $25 million a year to clean up.
Find out what's happening in Montrose-La Crescentawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In response to these concerns, unincorporated L.A. County and cities like Long Beach, Santa Monica and Calabasas have passed local laws banning the use of plastic bags.
Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who represents Montrose and La Crescenta, was the only dissenting vote against the ban in Nov.
Find out what's happening in Montrose-La Crescentawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In place of plastic bags, many stores are offering reusable shopping bags for sale, or customers may purchase a paper bag for 10 cents. Reusable bags range in price from $1.00 to $4.00 each and most of them can be washed in a washing machine.
