The City of Los Angeles has banned plastic carry-out bags.
L.A.’s ordinance, first embraced by the council in March 2012, will be phased in over the next year, reaching large stores on Jan. 1 and smaller ones on July 1, 2014. Customers who want paper bags will have to pay 10 cents for each one, according to the ordinance.
Opponents of the ban referred to the paper bag fee as an unfair tax. And they argued that it will hurt business in the region, particularly the plastic-bag makers that operate in the southeast section of Los Angeles County.
Cathy Browne, general manager at Huntington Park-based bag maker Crown Poly, said an unspecified number of employees will lose their jobs if the law passes. More than 50% of the plant’s business is in plastic grocery bags used in Los Angeles and other localities, she said.
Bye bye bags. Hello bacteria and fungus.