Locals React to County Ban on Plastic Bags

Crescenta Valley residents are mixed on the county's decision last month to ban disposable plastic shopping bags in unincorporated areas such as Montrose and La Crescenta: Some support the environmental message, while others question the timing and economic effects.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 16 voted to ban the bags, and the ban goes into effect for large grocery stores and pharmacies in the summer of 2011. By 2012, it is expected to cover 1,000 other stores, including those in Montrose and La Crescenta.

President Jean Maluccio thinks the timing of this ordinance may not be the best, given the persistently sagging economy. She expressed concern especially for the impact on local small businesses, noting the possibility of shoppers choosing nearby stores with plastic bags over those in unincorporated areas subject to the ban.

"La Crescenta is divided--half is under county jurisdiction, and half is under Glendale, so it's not far to go to a store that isn't under this ordinance," said Malluccio. "Right now I think these businesses are contending with enough; this is just one more thing during these rough times."

Armen Iskandarian, owner of , supports the notion of encouraging customers to supply their own shopping bags.

"Paper bags may cost more, but the main thing is for customers to start bringing their own," said Iskandarian. "People use plastic bags now for trash, cans, bottles, and sometimes they'll buy one item and ask for a bag."

Iskandarian described a recent customer who bought one small item and proceeded to ask for three plastic bags, which he said cost $20 for 800 to 1,000.

"People act like this is a going to be a new thing, having to bring your own shopping bag," said La Crescenta employee Patricia Prieto. "But when I was a child you just brought your own, we called it a 'market bag.'"

Prieto didn't think people would have much trouble adjusting their shopping habits and echoed the call for reducing plastic bags, 6 billion of which are used in L.A. County each year.

"I have so many," she said. "In the car, at home, they're everywhere."

Jen Higgins, who was shopping at Vons, said, "I guess [the ban on plastic bags] is a good thing for the environment, but how it will affect local businesses, I have no idea."

At a few blocks down Foothill Boulevard, customer Jim Hughes from Eagle Rock agreed that environmental concerns caused by plastic shopping bags need to be addressed: namely, the impact on landfills and pollution.

"The county ordinance is a good thing if it actually encourages people to bring their own bags, that's the most important thing," said Hughes. "If they just switch to paper, that doesn't really accomplish a whole lot."

Supervisor Michael Antonovich, who represents the Foothill cities, was the lone dissenting vote against the ordinance that was supported by Democratic supervisors Gloria Molina, Zev Yaroslavsky and Mark Ridley-Thomas and Republican Don Knabe.

"I voted 'no' on the ban based on the facts that it is not sound public policy, and it also only increases costs and regulations on the 1.5 million residents and businesses residing in the county's unincorporated areas--not the county's 88 cities," Antonovich said in a press release.

Antonovich also referenced the ordinance's 10-cent surcharge on paper bags, saying it "represents a new tax on the consumer."

Instead, Antonovich suggested that "in place of draconian fees and regulations, educating our residents on the harm of illegally disposing their plastic bags can be effective in ensuring that these bags don't end up on our beaches ...  rivers, parks and landfills."

Inspiration for the county's ordinance comes from California State Assembly Bill 1998, defeated in the state senate last August, which also called for a per-bag surcharge on disposable paper bags. Proponents speculate that a successful plastic bag ban in Los Angeles could eventually influence policy in Sacramento.